What is the most influential factors when promoting healthy eating among teenagers?

Table of Contents

Introduction: 3

Issue: 3

Literature Review: 3

Recommendations: 6

Conclusion: 7

References  8

What is the most influential factors when promoting healthy eating among teenagers?

Introduction:

This study is focused towards investigation of different factors which are responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children in different countries. In order to investigate different factors, extensive literature review related to this topic have been conducted. By conducting the extensive literature review, the paper has identified different significant factors which are responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children and different countries. The study has utilized qualitative approach in order to investigate the form related objective. It is important to understand that with the increase in level of globalization, there is growth in consumption of Fast Food by children in different countries especially in developed and developing countries. Due to this fact, it is important that factors responsible for influencing consumption of Fast Food by children should be conducted in different countries.      

Issue:

                With the passage of time, the consumption habits of children are changing and they are shifting towards consumption of fast food as compared to consumption of healthy eatable items. This study is focused towards investigation of different factors which are responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children in different countries. In this regard, extensive literature review has been conducted by using qualitative technique.

Literature Review:

One of the study conducted in past investigated different barriers and factors associated with healthy eating lifestyles of children at school. This study was conducted in order to identify different factors which are responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children at school level. The study clearly suggested that food environment inside the school as well as outside the school are considered to be some of the most significant factors which are responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children at school level. The study also suggested that parents are also significantly responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children. Family members were also identified as responsible factors for influencing the healthy eating habits of children. The results of the study suggested that most of the family members does not have enough time to prepare healthy meals for their children, most of the family members does not have proper adequate knowledge related to nutrition content most of the family members were not having enough money in order to purchase healthy food items for their children and unstructured families was another significant factor which was influencing the healthy eating habits of children at school level.

Schools surrounding environment has also been identified as an influencing factor for healthy eating lifestyles of children. The results of the study suggested that most of the children eat food items like pizza, hamburgers, chips, cakes confectionery items after school time mostly because of the fact that all these related items available in the surrounding environment of the school. The items were negatively influencing the healthy eating habits of children. The study also suggested that intervention of School Board to positively influence the healthy eating habits of children is significantly important at school level. It is important that school board should formulate a proper nutrition program and should provide to children in school so that their parents could implement the provided nutrition program for the better health of the children. The study clearly suggested that most of the teachers were given a lot of workload due to which they were not able to focus on identification of factors responsible for influencing the healthy eating lifestyles of children. Due to significant amount of workload, teachers were not able to implement properly the nutrition plan provided to them by School Board (Melo, Moura, Aires, & Cunha, 2013).

Another study was conducted in past investigating the factors responsible for influencing the unhealthy eating behaviors of children in United States. The study was focused towards investigation of significant factors like advertising, parental role and Peer influence in relation with a healthy eating habits of children in United States. The results of the study clearly suggested that factors like parental influence, Peer influence, and self-efficiency are significantly associated with a healthy eating behavior of children in United States. This clearly suggest that these factors can be used in order to predict on healthy eating behavior of children in United States. The study for the suggested that self-efficiency is considered to be the strongest and the most significant predictor for a healthy eating behavior of children in United States. This study results also suggested that advertising effects are significantly neutralized by parental influence as well as Peer influence and self-efficacy. In order to positively influence the advertisement on unhealthy eating behaviors of children in United States, it is significantly important that awareness regarding nutrition content and different nutrition programs for children should be provided to parents so that they could effectively understand the advertisement. Without proper awareness, most of the parents are not able to identify whether the advertisement is beneficial for their children or not. Due to this fact, education of parents related to nutrition knowledge and Awareness of parents regarding nutrition programs is essential for healthy eating behaviors of children in United States (Kinard & Webster, 2011).

Another study was conducted in past investigating the factors influencing the fast food consumption in children. This study was a qualitative study and investigated the influence of different factors which are responsible for influence in different types of Fast Food consumption by children. They study suggested that consumption of different types of passport items is increasing with the passage of time in developed as well as developing countries. Because of this transition and changes, the dietary habits of the people are also changing and it is influencing people from different page and group. Due to increase in consumption of fast food, it has become significantly important to identify the factors influencing the consumption of these items. The results of the study clearly suggested that different factors are responsible for promoting fast food consumption in children. Some of the factors are individual factors why some of the factors are social level factors which are influencing the fast food consumption in children. Individual practice means that the taste of children in different countries is changing and they are moving towards fast food consumption. The study clearly suggested that it is important for the policymakers to formulate policies which would reduce the consumption of passport items in order to promote healthy diet for children. The study also suggested that it is important for health experts to make appropriate interventions in order to enhance awareness regarding the importance of eating healthy food. This study also suggested that future studies can focus on factors like influence of parents, health experts, health related policy makers, and other related stakeholders with food industry (Majabadi, 2016).

Recommendations:

Studies in past have clearly recommended  that consumption of healthy eatable items is beneficial for health as compared to fast food consumption Especially for children.

It is recommended that future studies can be conducted related to role of different stakeholders in influencing the healthy eating habits of children and fast food consumption in different countries.

It is also recommended that policymakers and government authorities should focus on promotion of healthy eatable items as compared to fast food consumption items.

Different seminars and awareness programs can be arranged in order to enhance the awareness in public regarding the importance of healthy eating items as compared to fast food consumption.

It is also important that school external environment should not have fast food outlets.

Therefore fast food consumption for children should be discouraged and this will help the children to shift their eating habits toward healthy food instead of passport consumption.

Conclusion:

                Different factors have been identified as responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children. Some of the most significant factors identified are the parental influence on healthy eating habits of children. Another significant factor is Awareness of different nutrition programs and contents among parents. School external as well as internal environment is also responsible for influencing the healthy eating habits of children. School Board and policy makers are also identified as responsible factors in this regard. The study clearly suggest that parents and school have the most significant role in shaping the healthy eating habits of children so proper nutrition program and nutrition plan should be formulated for children in school and school board should ask the parents to effectively implement reformulated nutrition program and nutrition plan for the healthy eating habits of children.

References of What is the most influential factors when promoting healthy eating among teenagers?

Kinard, B. R., & Webster, C. (2011). Factors influencing unhealthy eating behaviour in US adolescents. International Journal of Consumer Studies.

Majabadi, H. A. (2016). Factors Influencing Fast-Food Consumption Among Adolescents in Tehran: A Qualitative Study. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal.

Melo, H., Moura, A. P., Aires, L. L., & Cunha, L. M. (2013). Barriers and facilitators to the promotion of healthy eating lifestyles among adolescents at school: the views of school health coordinators . Health Education Research.