ResearchDocument

RESEARCH DOCUMENT
According to the statistics put forward by researchers who have
analyzed the fast food industry, 99 percent of the commercials
came from big fast food companies McDonalds and Burger King.
Prior to this, they evaluated whether the advertisements were targeting
adults or children.
Approaching the topic of healthy eating amongst children has been
touched upon from different angles. A simple change in diet through
influential videos, posters, habits and involvement of children in the
cooking process at home brings about an impact on them. Graphic
design as a source of communication works towards

solving different problems today, one of them being obesity. The
designers of today have all addressed this issue a few times with
the use of multiple campaigns, advertisements, designed posters
etc., which are used to promote and produce obesity awareness
amongst people. The task of communicating through such mediums
is what we designers aim to achieve.
The relevance of well structured and planned out campaigns comes
into play here. A correlation exists between the importance of them
today and of healthy eating amongst children. Children in their initial
years are always growing which justifies the need of healthier food
options. Foods like fruits and vegetables lead to proper physical
development, building up of strength, resistance to infections,
minimizes future health risks cancer, dental decay etc., and allows
them to make better food decisions for life. (Anonymous, 2012)
According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey in the UK, most
children suffer from obesity due to the intake of large amounts of
saturated fats, sugar and salt, whereas one in then of them indulge
in a 4 portions a day of a diet of vegetables and fruits. (Clark and
Powell, 2013) It has also been proven that the use of all kinds of
healthy eating educational campaigns leads to not only better food
choices but improvements in behavior, mental health and well being
and improvements in the way they respond to their education. Inadequate
diets impede a child’s ability to learn too. (Clark and Powell,
2013)
Amongst all of the solutions out there today, the “FitWits” MD program
is the one of many that stands out the most. It was developed
by the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design and UPMC
Saint Margaret Family Health Centers and is used during an annual
check up of a child with a doctor, addressing the problems created
by obesity. (Anonymous, 2015). With the use of tools such as print
and digital, this program allows all the members of a family, educators
and health experts a better understanding on the decisions that
children make on a daily basis. (Fitwits is solving childhood obesity
by using 21st century technology and gaming to inspire the power
of play, 2015)
Being more specific, doctors use tools such as flash cards, which
feature a variety of cartoon characters, recipes, and health related
information such as nutrition, which help a child to understand the
importance of healthy food and the drawbacks of consuming junk
food. (Anonymous 2015) This program is a start up by the university
with five years of market research testing backing it up (Fitwits
is solving childhood obesity by using 21st century technology
and gaming to inspire the power of play, 2015). The university has
invested its time and attention into acquiring knowledge related to
the prevailing practices that teach the youth of today, the concept of
nutrition. (Fitwits is solving childhood obesity by using 21st century
technology and gaming to inspire the power of play, 2015) Using
these findings, the university develops new ways of educating
young minds on nutrition, healthy eating and obesity. It has been
proven that FitWit is an effective program that is used to discuss
these sensitive issues among family, children and educators without
any judgment. (Fitwits is solving childhood obesity by using 21st
century technology and gaming to inspire the power of play, 2015)
The use of FitWit has also made its way into a number of other sectors.
It has been tried and tested in places such as schools, where
health educators seek such effective programs to benefit them and
improve school wellness policies; doctors’ offices, where researches
need well researched and developed strategies to reverse the
effects of obesity; and restaurants, where the management searches
for new ways to educate and improve the knowledge of their
customers to further make healthier decisions. (Fitwits is solving
childhood obesity by using 21st century technology and gaming to
inspire the power of play, 2015).
From what has been seen, the research shows a consistent rise in
more educated children and families, who indulge in more physical
activity and who also make better and healthier food decisions.
It has also shown an improvement in BMIs and physicians who
feel more confident in educating their patients. (Fitwits is solving
childhood obesity by using 21st century technology and gaming
to inspire the power of play, 2015) This program has proven to be
educational and fun, involving everyone in the solution to bring out a
new, healthier change.
Such projects are not only taken up by working designers in the
industry, but by university students as well. Louise Tattershall is
a student who resides in the UK, who created a guide called “A
Healthy Guide To Pack Lunches” for the ALDI Health Pack Lunch
campaign. The campaign aimed at making children eat healthier
by involving them in the cooking process. Children are incentivized
with a sticker prize every time they cook a recipe from the book
and bring it to school for lunch. Tattershall, Louisse, 2013) To add
on, family members can win ALDI discounts, allowing them to cook
such meals at cheaper prices. The guide is filled with a variety of
recipes, ingredients and instructions, which are needed to make
wonderful and delicious lunch meals.
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