Renaming fruits and vegetables with catchy, attractive names could convince children to eat them, according to a new study.
Researchers at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab tested the likelihood that students at five ethnically and economically diverse schools schools would eat items dubbed “X-Ray Vision Carrots,” “Power Punch Broccoli,” “Tiny Tasty Tree Tops” and “Silly Dilly Green Beans” over the same foods labeled “Food of the Day.”
The results were overwhelming — for instance, in one school 66 percent of the carrots labeled “X-Ray Vision Carrots” were eaten up versus the 32 percent when they were labeled “Food of the Day.”
In a release, the study’s lead author Brian Wansink explained that the finding could provide a cheap solution to improving kids’ diets:
“These results demonstrate that using attractive names for healthy foods increases kid’s selection and consumption of these foods and that an attractive name intervention is robust, effective and scalable at little or no cost,” Wansink said. “This research also confirms that using attractive names to make foods sound more appealing works on individuals across all age levels.”
The Cornell findings aren’t the first to suggest simple tweaks could add up to big changes in kids’ diets. Earlier this year, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that students served with trays that pictured carrots and green beans in its compartments were more likely to select those foods for lunch.
Register now for our upcoming ’Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes’ - our largest free diabetes outreach event of the year promoting a diva attitude for living well with diabetes.
‘Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes’, mixes free beauty and fashion services, a Plus Size fashion show and music with interactive diabetes education in a fun, comfortable setting to broaden the appeal of diabetes educational outreach for women. Our goal is to make every woman feel more beautiful inside and out through the help of a team of certified diabetes educators, registered dietitians, and beauty and fashion experts.
Saturday, October 13, 2012, 11 AM – 4 PM
Jefferson Alumni Hall , First Floor Eakins Lounge 10th and Locust Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
FREE ADMISSION
Register: 1-800-JEFF-NOW
BORED BY DIABETES EDUCATION? Check out our Free Diabetes Podcast inspired by Taylor Swift featuring a frank, fashion forward discussion on a the shocking diet trend called ‘diabulimia’ that has young women living with type 1 diabetes skipping or shortchanging their insulin to lose weight and risk a coma and an early death. Plus, we’re learning healthy ways to eat BBQ, playing games and hearing more great ‘diagnosis to DIVA’ stories http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/09/11/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-mystery-diva
Meet Mr. Divabetic on his quest to glamorize good health at Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX.
For sponsorship opportunities and upcoming outreach event details visit: www.divabetic.org and Divabetic’s Facebook’s Group and Fan pages.
