Changing children’s eating habits for life The Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme Presented by Pauline Milne and Sally Pears

Changing children’s eating habits for life

The Food Dudes Healthy Eating ProgrammePresented by Pauline Milne and Sally Pears

Programme Aim:

To increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in primary school children


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Why Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake?


• Adult recommended daily intake = 400g• Average British daily intake = 250g

• Worldwide obesity crisis• We must change eating habits

Health Benefits of Fruit and Vegetables


• Help prevent obesity• Protect against many cancers• Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease• Help prevent diabetes• Protect against asthma• Keep skin, teeth and hair healthy

• Designed by psychologists


• Brings about major and long-lasting change

The Food Dudes Programme

The Food Dudes 3 RsThe Food Dudes 3 Rs• Role Modelling – Food Dudes in battle with General Junk • Role Modelling – Food Dudes in battle with General Junk

• Rewards• Rewards

• Repeated Tasting• Repeated Tasting


Why Does Food Dudes Work?

• The DVD episodes and rewards encourage children to taste fruit and vegetables repeatedly.

• Children discover the intrinsically rewarding properties of these foods and develop a taste for them.

• Children come to see themselves as fruit and vegetable eaters and are proud of it.

• The Programme creates a culture, both at school and at home, that strongly supports the eating of fruit and vegetables.


Take Up

England- (SFT; DoH; HDC; Worshipful Company of Fruiterers)• Wolverhampton : Roll-out to 84 schools; 20,000 children.• Bedfordshire: Initial roll-out to 9 schools in 2009; 4 schools in 2010.• Selby: small pilot in 2 schools.• Other regions: are also interested in piloting the scheme.

Ireland• National Roll-out to all primary schools (3,300 schools in total; 200,000

children have now participated).

Worldwide• Pilot projects in Sicily and California, US; negotiations with Utah, US and

Sydney, Australia.


The Food Dudes Programme


Phase 1 (16 days)Days 1-4: Children earn a reward by tasting both their fruit and vegetable.

Days 5-16: Children earn a reward by tasting by eating a portion of their fruit and a portion of their veg.

A portion is roughly the amount that fits into the child’s cupped hand


Phase 2 (ongoing)- Focus shifts to F&V eaten at school lunchtime.Day 17: - Reward given for home consumption during Phase 1. - Homepack 2 (letter and F&V boxes).Ongoing: - Children receive handstamps for eating F&V at lunchtime.- Teachers record progress on a classroom Wallchart.- Rewards given when children achieve targets on the Wallchart.

Award Winning Programme• World Health Organisation - combating obesity

• Caroline Walker Trust - changing children’s diets

• Social Marketing Centre - Showcase Award


Fun and Effective• Huge appeal for parents and teachers - 99% approval.

• Meets needs of Governments, Health Organisations and Industry.

• Recommended Programme in the 2010 Conservative Green Paper – “A Healthier Nation”.



Evidence

From schools in Ireland, London and Wolverhampton

49

34

6863

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Food DudesSchool

ControlSchool

gram

mes

pro

vide

d

93

42

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Food DudesSchool

ControlSchool

gram

mes

con

sum

ed

Fruit and Vegetable CONSUMPTION(from packed lunches)

Fruit and Vegetable PROVISION(in packed lunches)

Before

After 12 months

Horne et al. (2009) Increasing parental provision and children's consumption of lunchbox fruit and vegetables in Ireland: the Food Dudes intervention. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 63, p613-618.

Ireland

572

4843

68

48

NB. Average daily portion weight presented = 83g of fruit or 60g of vegetables

% c

onsu

med

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0

4

1177

4

Fruit

Control SchoolFood Dudes School

Before After 16 Days

After 4 Months


After 4 Months


After 4 Months


After 4 Months

Vegetables

London Poorest Eaters


Wolverhampton• 6 Experimental Schools.

• 24 hour food diary (DIET24) recorded consumption at different eating occasions throughout the day, both at home and at school.

• Number of portions of fruit and veg consumed.

• Results show large significant increases in both fruit and vegetable consumption, particularly in the Poorest Eaters.

0.24

0.41

0.87

1.30

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

PRE POST PRE POST

Porti

ons

Cons

umed

PRE POST PRE POST

Poorest Eaters (<2portions per day)

Whole School

*

**1.10

1.61*

WolverhamptonDaily Fruit & Veg Consumption (at Home and School)

Fruit

Vegetables


Displacement of ‘Unhealthy’ Snacks• As F&V consumption increased, ‘unhealthy’ snack food consumption

decreased.

• Suggests that F&V displaced other snack food in children’s diets.

0.79

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

PRE POST

Porti

ons

Cons

umed

0.63

*

WolverhamptonUnhealthy Snack Consumption (in School)

20% reduction


Contact:Pauline MilneNational Food Dudes Co-ordinatorSchool of Psychology, Bangor University

Tel: 01248 388534 Mob: 07767003036Email: [email protected]

www.fooddudes.co.uk

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.fooddudes.co.uk/


Some testimonials from parents……

‘He has increased the variety of fruit he eats and is keen to select when shopping….

Excellent.’

‘‘Food Dudes should be introduced into every Primary School.’Food Dudes should be introduced into every Primary School.’

‘The children ate more fruit and veg and asked for less chocolate

and crisps!’

‘‘I found I was buying more fruit than usual’.I found I was buying more fruit than usual’.

‘I think it was beneficial, it has helped and encouraged all the family to eat healthy. My son

is trying to encourage other family members to eat healthy.

Documents

Changing children’s eating habits for life The Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme Presented by Pauline Milne and Sally Pears