Will children eat more healthy if a vlogger demonstrates it? Tilburg research shows that they will

Vloggers encouraging children to eat more fruits and vegetables? It sounds too good to be true, but research by Frans Folkvord, Associate Professor of Communication and Cognition, shows that it works: children actually start eating healthier.

How did you approach your research?

‘Together with children, I developed vlogs to introduce vegetables and fruits to peers in a playful and relatable way. Young vloggers unpacked packages of vegetables and fruits in unboxing videos, enthusiastically showing what was inside.

‘Additionally, we set up challenges where the children completed healthy tasks, such as making a healthy dish, and challenged others to do the same.

‘We then showed these vlogs at six different elementary schools. Each week, students watched a new vlog during lunch. At the same time, questionnaires were filled out to measure their attitudes towards healthy eating. After a few months, I could see whether the children actually ate more vegetables and fruits as a result of watching the vlogs.’

And, did they eat more healthy?

‘The children who watched the vlogs did indeed eat more vegetables and fruits. What stood out was that they also began to find eating vegetables and fruits more enjoyable. In the vlogs, they saw peers, children just like themselves, promoting healthy eating. This relatability acted as a significant motivator for them to eat healthier as well.’

Why is this research important?

‘Advertising for unhealthy food is everywhere today, especially online. Children are constantly exposed to videos and advertisements for soda, snacks, and fast food on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. This has a huge impact on their eating behavior: they tend to eat unhealthier, which can lead to problems such as obesity and chronic diseases in the long run.

‘Our idea was simple: if these marketing techniques are so powerful, why not turn them around and use them for something positive? We can use the same tactics that the food industry employs to make healthy eating appealing and get children excited about healthy choices.’

Are there already ‘healthy influencers’?

‘I haven’t seen influencers specifically targeting healthy eating for children. Of course, there are fitfluencers, but they mainly focus on fitness and a healthy lifestyle for adults.

‘While some companies and organizations promote healthy eating through social media, it pales in comparison to the massive marketing machines behind unhealthy products. The amount of advertising for junk food is much larger and reaches a much broader audience, particularly children. Their eating habits are strongly influenced as a result.’

Should influencers take responsibility for the impact they have on their followers’ eating behavior?

‘Absolutely. Just as we now have strict rules for advertising around cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, we should also be much more critical of promoting unhealthy food, especially aimed at children. Overweight, diabetes, and other chronic conditions are on the rise globally, and this often starts at a young age due to excessive consumption of unhealthy products.

‘Of course, there is always some responsibility on parents and the individual, but we cannot place that responsibility entirely on them. The constant exposure to tempting advertisements and cheap, unhealthy products makes it incredibly difficult to always make the right choices. As a society, we need to ensure that healthy choices become the easy and obvious choices.’

Do you think the government should take stricter action?

‘We’re already seeing stricter regulations around the marketing of unhealthy products in countries like England and Norway, such as a ban on advertisements aimed at children and sugar taxes. Such measures should be implemented worldwide. Furthermore, schools can do much more, for example, by offering healthy lunches and providing free fruits and vegetables.’

What surprised you the most in this research?

‘I hoped that we could encourage children to eat healthier through influencers, but we were still surprised by how effective it turned out to be. Children genuinely enjoy vegetables and fruits, as long as they are presented in an appealing way.

‘A simple adjustment, like peeling an apple or cutting a bell pepper into pieces, can make a huge difference in how they experience it. It doesn’t have to be complicated to make healthy eating appealing. Often, it’s those small, playful changes that do the trick.’

What can students do to live healthier?

‘Many students think they can eat whatever they want because they are young and active. They easily walk to the snack bar or drink a lot during a night out. However, the eating habits you develop now will stay with you for the rest of your life. As you get older, you often have less time to exercise, and your metabolism – the process by which your body converts food into energy – changes.

‘That’s why I advise students to make conscious choices now: opt for nutritious meals, try to cook for yourself regularly, and make time for physical activity. Small adjustments, like eating more vegetables or drinking less soda, can make a big difference!’

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