When it comes to nutritional facts and figures, everyone responds differently. Some people like to know exact calorie counts and nutrient details when making food choices. Others prefer visual comparisons (for example, a serving of bread is about the size of an index card.) Researchers have found an interesting way to discourage teenage soda consumption- and it’s not by telling teens how many calories are in a serving or that one soda accounts for 11 percent of their daily recommended calories. So what is the strategy that seems to be working? The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers picked four stores near middle and high schools in low-income areas. They posted a piece of paper on the drink coolers which said that it would take 50 minutes of jogging to burn off one soda. This information seemed to decrease soda purchases by 40 percent, and teens tended to purchase water instead. Posting a similar sign that said one soda contained 250 calories seemed to have no effect on purchases. A new federal law (which goes into effect this year) will require vending machines and restaurants to post calorie information for food and drinks. While calorie information works for some, this study proves that it doesn’t work for everyone. Perhaps there are better ways to get the message across, especially to a teen audience. One of my recent blogs discussed an easy way to get kids to purchase more fruit in the cafeteria line. Just moving the bowl increased consumption by more than 100%. It seems worth the time and effort to find creative ways to improve the eating habits of young people. These are just two examples of easy changes that made a big difference. Wondering which drinks are the best choices for you? Check out SparkPeople’s Healthy Beverage Guidelines for more information. What do you think? |
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