Healthy Food Score (HFS): The Real World Applications, IV

Overview

This study was a continuing fourth year research to develop and evaluate 3 real world applications/interventions to combat obesity. First, an iPhone Application (HFS-App) was developed to help American shoppers obtain commercial food HFS. Second, black/white picture reflecting the negative consequences of not being healthy and colorful picture reflecting the positive consequences of being healthy were developed and evaluated in both American and Thai subjects. Subjects were divided into 2 groups and asked to respond to a healthy eating survey before and after viewing the 2 pictures. Third, the PowerPoint presentations were used to increase subjects' healthy food knowledge. Each subject was asked to take the healthy food knowledge quiz before and after viewing the presentations. Results showed that the HFS-App helped shoppers shop for healthier food brands through the 5 functions. Users can input food ingredients of a product (F1), search the product by name (F2), or scan the product bar code (F3) to obtain HFS. Two other functions provide the healthy food knowledge (F4) and allow food manufacturers to advertise their healthy food products (F5). Second, the negative black/white picture was more effective than the positive colorful picture in influencing American and Thai subjects' healthy eating habits and physical activities with more influences found on the Thai than American subjects. Third, the PowerPoint educational presentations significantly improved American and Thai subjects' healthy food knowledge. It is expected that these interventions may one day be used in the real world to promote healthy living and combat obesity.

Competition history

• ISEF 2016 Biomedical and Health Sciences · Entry BEHA019

Resources

• ISEF abstract page ↗

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