ABSTRACT
The rise of childhood obesity levels, concerns about the inactivity of some children, and worries about children’s food preferences have resulted in social and educational initiatives that encourage children to adopt more healthy lifestyles. Rachael Gosling, Debbi Stanistreet and Viren Swami’s study draws upon the perceptions of 32 Year Five children from two primary schools in the north west of England and uses focus groups to get a genuine sense of children’s views and beliefs. Children are found to have important understandings related to healthy living and, for instance, able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food. However, the researchers note that children are provided with contradictory messages by the food industry which means children often mediate their understandings through social interactions with friends and adults.
