Researchers said that warning teens what they need to walk or run to burn off the calories found in a single can of soda or other sugary drink could persuade them to choose drinks with fewer calories.
“People don’t really understand what it means to say that a regular can of soda contains 250 calories,” said study lead author Sarah Bleach of Johns Hopkins University.
“Most likely, there is a better way to present information about calories, as we have found that simplicity and ease in providing that information, such as determining what a person needs to walk in order to burn calories, will lead to better results, and may encourage behavior changes.” .
The researchers placed brightly colored billboards in 6 corner stores in Baltimore’s predominantly black, low-income neighborhoods. Contains 250 calories and 16 tablespoons of sugar; These are contents that require 50 minutes of running or walking for more than 8 km in order to burn them.
The researchers monitored nearly 3,100 store-bought beverage purchases by teens between the ages of 12 and 19. They interviewed them, and of the 35 percent of teens who said they had seen the paintings, 59 percent said they believed the information in the paintings; And 40 percent said they changed their purchases as a result of that information.
The researchers found that 98 percent of store-bought drink sales accounted for sugary drinks before the plates were placed, compared to 89 percent after they were placed. Many teens also chose to buy smaller sizes of drinks, and the study showed that the number of calories in drinks The sugary treat, which each teen bought, dropped from 203 calories to 179 calories.
Researchers said the percentage of teens who decided not to buy these types of drinks increased from 27 percent to 33 percent; The percentage of water purchases increased from 1 percent to 4 percent.
“This is a low-cost way to get teens to buy drinks that contain less sugar, and it works even after the plates are removed,” Bleach said.
“The segment of adolescents, who have black skin, is among the groups that face an increased risk of obesity, and it is one of the largest segments consuming sugary drinks, and there is a strong scientific link between the consumption of sugary drinks and obesity, and the use of these easy-to-understand and easy-to-install panels may help to Promote obesity prevention or weight loss.
