Nutrition Education Isn't Working?!?

Meg Bruening, PA NEN

This summer, the Associated Press released an article, “Review Finds Nutrition Education Failing,” in which the author reviewed federally–funded, school-based nutrition education programs. According to the author, only four of the fifty-seven studies reviewed succeeded in changing eating behavior or preventing childhood obesity, and the remaining were “mostly failure[s].”

One example of the research that was reviewed (and assumed to be a failure) was a study on the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program in Mississippi. According to the author of the AP article, the fifth graders involved in the program became less likely to eat fruits and vegetables than they were before the start of the program. While that may be correct, this particular study also included eighth and tenth graders, both of whom increased their preference for fruits and vegetables. All grades in this study were found to have increased their willingness to try new fruits and vegetables.

The review does not specifically attribute the failure of programs to the methodology of the initiatives, giving pause to the influences of parents, poverty, and advertising: “Poorer kids are especially at risk, because unhealthy food is cheaper and more easily available than healthy food. Parents are often working, leaving children unsupervised to get their own snacks. Low-income neighborhoods have fewer good supermarkets with fresh produce.”

This article strongly suggests that programs, specifically those within USDA, do not measure or do not positively change behavior. It is acknowledged that USDA does not have the funding to conduct "long term, controlled, medical modeled studies" to illustrate the programs’ success. Instead, USDA relies on positive attitude change and knowledge about foods.

It is unclear how this article willaffect nutrition education programming. Over the past few years, USDA has been moving toward stronger measures of behavior change. The article has already catalyzed a debate among those working in the field of nutrition education; at this year’s upcoming Society for Nutrition Education annual conference, a round table discussion was added.

Read Review Finds Nutrition Education Failing at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WireStory?id=3345282&page=1

Evaluation of a Fruit and Vegetable Distribution Program— Mississippi, 2004-05 School Year, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5535a1.htm