Posted on 12/11/2013 6:43:10 PM PST by ransomnote
The National Institutes of Health is spending over $224,000 to study how to introduce healthy child menus in an effort to alter the “ordering behavior” of kids in restaurants.
A research project awarded on Nov. 26 to San Diego State University will attempt a “restaurant-based intervention,” coupled with a marketing campaign aimed at children to fight obesity.
The school has been given $224,250 for an “exploratory intervention” study that will specifically target Latino children, which the researchers say have the highest rates of obesity.
The project will first observe children’s “menu ordering and consumption behaviors” in 12 restaurants, followed by the “restaurant-based intervention.”
The intervention will create healthy child menus based on dietary guidelines. The researchers will then promote the menu through “an innovative children’s menu marketing campaign and prompting by restaurant employees.”
“The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention on sales of new healthy child menu items using restaurant sales data,” the grant said. “An exploratory aim will examine whether the addition of new healthy child menus is effective at altering ordering and consumption behaviors, assessed observationally, to decrease the calories, fat, and sugar, and increase the fruits and vegetables that children consume.”
Dr. Guadalupe X. Ayala, a professor of public health at San Diego State University, is leading the project.
Ayala has received $8.2 million from the NIH to lead various studies since 1997, including one focused on promoting healthy habits in Latino grocery stores.
(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
Still Thinking tells them government nannies to FO for free. See how much more efficient the private sector is?
Who lets children “order” in a restaurant?
We talk with them about what is on the menu. We then talk to them both about what they both want, and will agree to that is on the adult menu.
We order from the adult menu and have the kitchen split it for them. The food is better, better for them and they get the experience of eating in a restaurant.
Uh, years ago children were told what they were going to eat.
Good grief, the plate was put in front of you and you ate it. Everything.
Yes, follow ANYONE who has an "x" as a middle name.
The key to prosperity.
To me the whole point of going out is for the kids to have a good meal that we would not ordinarily make at home (else why go out)
The standard BS on a kids menu is simply revolting to my kids and they won’t eat it. So we get the two of them to agree on an item from the adult menu that is not something that we would make at home, and is not Kraft Mac & cheese, a hot dog, or similar.
They are 7 & 5 and we offer them a choice of three, that wife and I decided on, and they choose between themselves what it’s going to be.
most kids menu items are about half the price of an adult entree and the food is cheap crap. So, why not have them eat half an adult meal which is light years better, at the same total cost.
It’s just a different world today.
We weren’t asked what we wanted for dinner. Food was put in front of us. We ate it. Admittedly the lima beans were not my favorite. Even the dog wouldn’t eat them if we tried to slip them under the table. We had no choice. ALL the lima beans were eaten.
Maybe I was permanently damaged. LOL
Want kids to "eat healthy"? Make the healthy crap taste better. BOOM, I just gave you that for FREE, your welcome, National Institutes of Health.
I grew up as you did for the most part.
A high end dinner out for us was at the Bradford Room at the W. T. Grants.
Dinner at home is what was made, as it is in my house. We make dinner and they eat it or go hungry. The later choice only took once or twice to get the message across.
THe idea that these nitwits are going to change kids eating habits is crazy.
Give a kid a choice...Brussels Sprouts or French Fries? Like it is any surprise to anyone which way that is going to go.
Do they honestly think that they can get kids to choose the Brussels Sprouts? They must, and since they think that they can, which is why it is a spectacular waste of money because it is doomed to fail. You can’t change human nature.
It’s for the children . . .
Nanny State PING!
Thanks for the ping!
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