Chrystal Kroner studies educational leadership at the University of Missouri. She says as children become the target of advertisements about food, it’s harder for them to make healthy choices.
She says a change in the way healthy eating habits are taught in schools could help children see through some of the advertising.
(AUDIO) Allison Blood reports on childhood obesity Mp3 1:02
She says there are some children who have never seen a garden, so it’s easy for them to think peaches or tomatoes just come in a can. She says forbidding unhealthy food is not the right approach, but rather reasoning with kids that good food makes them feel better- she says now children are both obese and malnourished.
She says it’s not hard to teach kids to be savvy when it comes to advertising so they can learn to think about where food comes from, and not just who is endorsing it.
She says making healthy choices daily and setting a good example isn’t always easy, but it is parents’ job. She says she doesn’t ban unhealthy food at her house, but instead offers alternatives too, and finds that her children choose to eat healthy most of the time.