What would <scp>B</scp>atman eat?: priming children to make healthier fast food choices

Wansink, Brian; Shimizu, Mitsuru; Camps, Guido

doi:10.1111/j.2047-6310.2011.00003.x

Cited by 29 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This collaboration stems in part from research illustrating the positive impact media can have on consumption of fruits and vegetables. [16][17][18] In addition, use of iconic characters can also increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children, [19][20][21] although these studies often have small sample sizes and limited scope. Furthermore, there is mixed evidence documenting the differential impact of marketing interventions among boys and girls.…”

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confidence: 99%

Marketing Vegetables in Elementary School Cafeterias to Increase Uptake

2016

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OBJECTIVES: Children do not eat enough servings of vegetables, underscoring the need for effective interventions encouraging this behavior. The purpose of this research was to measure the impact that daily exposure to branded vegetable characters has on vegetable selection among boys and girls in elementary schools. METHODS:In a large urban school district, 10 elementary schools agreed to participate in the study. They were randomly assigned to a control condition or 1 of 3 treatment conditions:(1) a vinyl banner displaying vegetable characters that was fastened around the base of the salad bar; (2) short television segments with health education delivered by vegetable characters; or (3) a combination of the vinyl banner and television segments. We collected 22 206 student-day observations over a 6-week period by tallying the number of boys and girls taking vegetables from the school's salad bar. RESULTS:Results show that 90.5% (from 12.6% to 24.0%; P = .04) more students took vegetables from the salad bar when exposed to the vinyl banner only, and 239.2% (from 10.2% to 34.6%; P < .001) more students visited the salad bar when exposed to both the television segments and vinyl banners. Both boys and girls responded positively to the vinyl banners (P < .05 in both cases). CONCLUSIONS:Evidence from this study highlights the positive impact of branded media on children's vegetable selection in the school cafeteria. Results from this study suggest potential opportunities for using branded media to encourage healthier choices for children.

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confidence: 99%

Marketing Vegetables in Elementary School Cafeterias to Increase Uptake

2016

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“…Similarly, few families reported receiving verbal prompting by servers to purchase the KLW meals that came with the SuperCrew ® toy, although data indicate that the toys were appealing to a substantial percentage of the children. Future research could examine the extent to which the familiarity of selected characters affects participants’ attention to these types of interventions, given mixed results regarding the role of character familiarity in related experimental studies (23–25). Data collectors noted that the distribution of the toy incentive was infrequent, although it was difficult to assess fidelity given the low frequency of KLW meal orders among the sample of families completing the surveys (one out of 28).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting healthier children's meals at quick-service and full-service restaurants: Results from a pilot and feasibility study

et al. 2017

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High-calorie restaurant foods contribute to childhood overweight. Increased consumer demand for healthier kids’ meals may motivate the restaurant industry to provide additional healthy options. This study pilot-tested a combination of four strategies (toy incentive, placemats, server prompts, signage) designed to increase demand for healthier kids’ meals, which were defined as those eligible for the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program. Relative sales of healthier kids’ meals were examined before (n=3,473 total kids’ meal orders) and during Month 1 (n=3,546 total kids’ meal orders) and Month 2 of implementation (n=3,645 total kids’ meal orders) of an 8-week intervention in two locations each of a quick-service (QSR) and full-service (FSR) restaurant chain. Convenience samples of children (n=27) and their parents (n=28) were surveyed regarding parent and child perceptions of intervention components. Findings regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of the intervention were mixed. At the FSRs, the relative percentage of monthly sales from healthier kids’ meals increased from 5.0% of kids’ meal orders at baseline to 8.3% during Month 1, ending at 6.4% during Month 2. At the QSRs, the relative percentage of monthly sales from healthier kids’ entrees decreased from 27.5% at baseline to 25.2% during Month 1, ending at 25.9% during Month 2. Implementation quality tracking showed that consistent implementation of intervention components was a challenge; parent- and child-reported awareness of intervention components supported this finding. Future directions are discussed, aiming to build upon these findings and maximize the feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of efforts to promote healthier eating in restaurants.

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“…Kakalios wrote (and made use of a great food metaphor) that "I hope you will be so busy enjoying this superhero ice cream sundae that you won't realize that I am sneakily getting you to eat your spinach at the same time." Others have also used this concept to great effect when considering metaphors for stem cell research (2), making healthy food choices (18,19), body image in young men (20), and positive social helping behaviors (13).…”

Section: Pop-culture Icons As Contextual Connects That Can "Bridge Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avengers Assemble! Using pop-culture icons to communicate science

Zehr

2014

Advances in Physiology Education

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Engaging communication of complex scientific concepts with the general public requires more than simplification. Compelling, relevant, and timely points of linkage between scientific concepts and the experiences and interests of the general public are needed. Pop-culture icons such as superheroes can represent excellent opportunities for exploring scientific concepts in a mental “landscape” that is comfortable and familiar. Using an established icon as a familiar frame of reference, complex scientific concepts can then be discussed in a more accessible manner. In this framework, scientists and the general public use the cultural icon to occupy a commonly known performance characteristic. For example, Batman represents a globally recognized icon who represents the ultimate response to exercise and training. The physiology that underlies Batman’s abilities can then be discussed and explored using real scientific examples that highlight truths and fallacies contained in the presentation of pop-culture icons. Critically, it is not important whether the popular representation of the icon shows correct science because the real science can be revealed in discussing the character through this lens. Scientists and educators can then use these icons as foils for exploring complex ideas in a context that is less threatening and more comfortable for the target audience. A “middle-ground hypothesis” for science communication is proposed in which popculture icons are used to exploring scientific concepts in a bridging mental landscape that is comfortable and familiar. This approach is encouraged for communication with all nonscientists regardless of age.

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What would Batman eat?: priming children to make healthier fast food choices

Abstract: SummaryBackground: Fast food patronage is a frequent reality for many children and their parents. Although there

Cited by 29 publications

References 8 publications

Marketing Vegetables in Elementary School Cafeterias to Increase Uptake

Marketing Vegetables in Elementary School Cafeterias to Increase Uptake

Promoting healthier children's meals at quick-service and full-service restaurants: Results from a pilot and feasibility study

Avengers Assemble! Using pop-culture icons to communicate science

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