What would B atman eat?: priming children to make healthier fast food choices

Summary Background Fast food patronage is a frequent reality for many children and their parents. Although there are increasingly healthier alternatives for popular menu items (apple slices instead of F rench fries), they are infrequently selected. Objectives 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 children to make healthier fast food choices. Methods In the priming model condition, 22 children (ranging in age from 6 to 12 years) were presented with 12 photos of 6 admirable and 6 less admirable models and asked, ‘Would this person order apple fries or French fries?’ In the health prime condition, the same children were shown 12 photos of 6 healthy foods and 6 less healthy foods and asked to indicate if each food was healthy or unhealthy. Results When children were asked what various admirable people – such as B atman or S piderman – would eat, 45% chose apple slices over F rench fries, which was higher than the health prime ( P  < 0.001) or the control condition ( P  < 0.001). Conclusions Advising a parent to ask their child ‘ W hat would B atman (or another admired character or person) eat?’ might be an easy step to take in what could be a healthier fast food world.