Prevention of Eating Habits Associated With Obesity

"The intervention includes: (1) reading materials, such as recent journalistic works that expose the deceptive and manipulative marketing practices of food companies and the harmful effects of these practices on society, with particular emphasis on harm to young children and the economically disadvantaged. Stories from other young people will also be included in order to contribute to the perception of widespread outrage and to suggest how that outrage can be channeled into taking a stand against the injustice perpetrated by food companies by eating less unhealthy or healthier food; (2) writing exercises, such as a story with a brief statement of what the participants would tell a younger child about the ads; and (3) an interactive activity, called Make It Real in which they are shown pictures of food ads and allowed to write and draw about them, making whatever changes (e.g., crossing out and substituting words) they feel necessary to make the ad real (i.e., no longer misleading)."

The educational intervention includes information on nutrition and physical exercise. It includes reading and writing exercises.