What Would Batman Eat? Priming Children to Make Healthier Fast Food Choices

Abstract

Fast food patronage is a frequent reality for many children and their parents. Although there are increasingly healthier options being offered as alternatives for regular menu items (apple slices instead of French fries), they are seldom selected by the children. We investigated whether either of two priming tactics – the priming of a role model’s food choices or the priming of healthy foods – could influence 22 children (ranging in age from 6 to 12 years, with a mean of 8.5) to make healthier fast food choices. When children were asked what various admirable people would eat, 45% of them chose apple slices over French fries, which was significantly higher than the health prime (p< .001) or the control condition (p< .001). Advising a parent to ask their child “What would Batman eat?” might be an easy step to take in what could be a healthier fast food world.

Keywords: Nutrition, food choice, fast food, primes, priming, food intake, childhood obesity, pediatrics, behavior change, mcdonalds, junk food, healthy choices, parents