Availability of healthy foods may not inspire nutritious diets

2/13/2012

Employee wellness programs that educate workers on the foods they should be eating to maintain a healthy weight can have benefits that extend outside the office. For example, if obese employees begin eating right and exercising, they may pass their new habits on to their friends and family. This is important considering that the obesity epidemic has been affecting children as well as adults in the U.S.

Of course, convincing kids to eat right isn't always an easy task. Recently, a study that will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Public Health pointed out that although there has been a move to introduce healthier foods in schools, "it isn't nutritious until it's eaten."

As long as there are still unhealthy options for kids to choose, there is a high chance that they will go for them, and the mere presence of nutritious food does not make people healthy.

The researchers found one way to encourage kids to choose healthier meals. The scientists determined that having two lunch lines, one with healthy choices and one with junk food, could prompt kids to pick better quality food, especially if the healthy line is more convenient with many "grab and go" options.

The scientists concluded that these findings suggest that healthier foods should be offered as more convenient options in school cafeterias in order to encourage students to make better nutrition choices.

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