The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will give $2 million to food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids’ use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity.
October 18, 2010
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will give $2 million to food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids’ use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity. The money will establish a major new university-based research center, the Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and fund 14 other research projects in Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Across the nation, many schools are already taking steps to provide students with healthier meals and the nutrition knowledge to make healthier choices. However, it is well recognized that understanding the value of a healthy diet does not always translate into healthy choices. Research has shown that good intentions may not be enough: when choosing what or how much to eat, we may be unconsciously influenced by how offers are framed, by various incentives, and by such factors as visual cues.
The emerging field of behavioral economics draws on research from the fields of economics and social psychology to better understand behavior. This research can suggest practical, cost-effective ways that the school environment can better support healthful choices. For example, students may value the present over the future, making it hard to turn down today’s tasty treat for the sake of long-term health. But research suggests we can support good intentions via the use of a pre-paid card that only allows students to purchase healthy options from the school cafeteria.
The Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs will be headed by David Just and Brian Wansink. Center initiatives include:
- leading and coordinating research on the application of behavioral economic theory to child nutrition program operations and activities;
- expanding the network of social scientists who participate in such research; and
- disseminating information obtained through its research program to a diverse stakeholder audience, including other researchers, policy and program officials, and the general public.
Three awards were also made for studies that will test the effectiveness of selected behavioral economics-based strategies in improving the food choices of children participating in USDA school meal programs.
Finally, USDA is funding 11 small-scale developmental grants to enhance research capacity in the application of behavioral economic strategies and interventions to child nutrition programs.
Press release