The Conversation – Rachel Povey, Robert Dempsey, and Sian Calvert
Frequent snacking on foods high in fat, salt and sugar, such as crisps and chocolate bars, may be one factor contributing to high obesity rates. The UK government recommends that snack foods like this should be eaten rarely and only in small amounts as part of a healthy diet.
But when we surveyed 252 11 and 12-year-old students at two English secondary schools to understand the perceived social norms for snacking on foods high in fat, salt and sugar, we found that students often overestimated the extent to which other students ate this kind of snack. We’ve also found that what their peers do appears to heavily influence how young people eat.