As the debate over food labeling rages on in America, a group of researchers is asking if it is ethical to leave the youngest generation out of the discussion.
While adults are driven by their health concerns, poor health often has its roots in childhood, as proven by the obesity rates among children.
Children, especially the very young, are not included as part of the solution because they are deemed to lack health literacy. Since they can’t add calories or recognize daily percentage allowances for different vitamins, food companies are not obligated to communicate with children, said Dr. Greg Privitera, now research chair for the Center for Behavioral Health at the University of Phoenix, in a telephone interview.
“We are largely focusing on what children can’t do,” he said.
Privitera and his colleagues thought about this, and understood that children are incredibly brilliant at one thing, and that’s emotional literacy. Even as young as 6 months old, an infant can recognize facial emotions and respond. Why not use this skill to give children a stake in their own health?
Emo-labeling is an image-based labeling strategy that correlates a “happy” emoji face, with healthy food, and a “sad” emoji with unhealthy food. Privitera first studied emo-labeling in 2013.
