
Share
12th April 2020
10:00am BST

The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, followed 659 students between the ages of nine and 13 in London, Ontario for two weeks with the help of a GPS tracker.
The tracker recorded any time the child got within 50 meters of any place they could potentially buy junk food, and then recorded how long they were in the area. T
he kids were also given journals to record any purchases they made.
Not terribly surprising, the results showed that the longer a child stayed in the store; the more likely they were to buy junk food.
Specifically, if they were only around for less than a minute, they had a 1.7 percent chance of buying something bad for them. The chances increased to 17 percent if they hung around for 15 minutes or more.
This is what Dr. Jason Gilliland, lead researcher of the study, had to say about the results:
“This study’s findings have significant implications for municipal planners, school board officials, public health officials and other decision makers."
"This provides clear evidence that bylaws and policies should be enacted that restrict the concentration of junk food outlets around schools.”
Meaning, of course, that in order to make healthy choices, children need help avoiding the bad ones.
Gilliland and his team recently, on the back of the study, launched an app, SmartAPPetite, that shows kids healthy food options in their local area.
But it could also be done as simply as avoiding bringing kids to the corner shop. Steering clear of the sweets aisle. Keeping the fridge stocked with healthy foods and avoiding buying in sweets and snacks for the house.
“This [study] suggests the powerful influence that parents can have on their children’s eating habits and the need to be mindful of this," the author explains.
Explore more on these topics: