New research reveals how to get kids to stop eating unhealthy snacks

A new intervention could reduce unhealthy snacks among school children, the study shows

Researchers at Staffordshire University have found that secondary school students often overestimate the number of unhealthy snacks among their friends, increasing their likelihood of eating unhealthy snacks on their own

Sian Calvert, who led a series of studies, said: "In a focus group study of children aged 11 to 13 years before the intervention, we found that they knew what healthy eating behaviours were, and what short-term and long-term effects, but not always practicing these behaviors

Regular consumption of unhealthy snacks can make teenagers overweight or obese, increasing their chances of long-term ill health, according to Public Health England

According to NHS statistics, children living in the most deprived parts of the UK are twice as likely to be overweight or obese than children living in higher socioeconomic areas

Sian and colleagues created a school-based intervention using the social norm approach (SNA), which corrects misperceptions about the behavior of others, to help address the problem

"Adolescence is an important time for rapid growth and development, but it's also a time when children have more control over their diets and tend to develop unhealthy eating habits

The research involved more than 150 Year 7 pupils aged 11-12 from two schools in Greater Manchester and Staffordshire

Both schools received messages about healthy eating, and students in the SNA intervention also received feedback to correct their misperceptions about their peers' snacking behavior

After the intervention, participants in the SNA intervention group had significantly less consumption of unhealthy snacks, more accurate perceptions of other students' behaviors, and more negative attitudes toward unhealthy snacks

Sian said: "Our findings are important because we recommend that adolescents eat a healthy and balanced diet with only occasional small unhealthy snacks to support normal development and reduce the likelihood of long-term ill health

Reference: An in-school social norms approach intervention for reducing unhealthy snacking behaviours amongst 11–12-year-olds