o f c h i l d r e n i n t h e U . s . are severely overweight. IMPACT > health+HUman development
school of public health
Shrinking Childhood Obesity Getting schoolchildren to choose fruit over French fries in the lunch line may be as simple as marketing the healthier choices more effectively. Research Associate Stephanie Grutzmacher M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’07 is testing that theory with the Maryland State Department of Education and the University of Maryland Extension by training cafeteria workers and school administrators in lowcost ideas and offering classroom programs to be used in 60 schools starting in August. Examples of “nudging” children include placing a pretty basket of apples near the cash register, where students may be tempted to grab one while waiting to pay. Or putting the cookies and pudding out of sight, so students have to specifically request them. Or having food-service workers ask their young customers to choose between a banana or orange, rather than if they want either one. “Maybe we can make the carrots look cooler, and we can change behavior without reducing choices, being paternal-
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istic or spending much money,” says Grutzmacher, who’s affiliated with the Department of Family Science. The latest figures on childhood obesity demonstrate the urgency and importance of her research. An estimated 17 percent of children in the U.S. are severely overweight, triple the rate 30 years ago. And many children get a large portion of their calories at school, highlighting the value of eating smart there. Grutzmacher’s work also ties into the School of Public Health’s commitment to health equity and health literacy, since the school meals program has the potential to increase access to nutritious food for low-income children. In the classroom component of the project, children might not only learn about the importance of healthy eating, but also develop a preference for healthy foods. “The problem we have in reforming school meals is that people think reforms won’t matter,” she says. “We want to show it’s easy and cheap.” —LB
winter 2011
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