Preponderance of the Meals and Snacks Children

¶ … preponderance of the meals and snacks children eat are often consumed at school, offering calorie-controlled healthier meals as part of the school lunch program will reduce the BMIs of the student body. However, presenting these meals as 'healthy' in a self-conscious manner will be counter-productive to the aim of BMI reduction.

What population will serve as the participants? How will the participants be recruited? What will be the inclusion/exclusion criteria for inclusion/exclusion from the study?

The target population will be students at a school with a high percentage of students who are classified as overweight or obese. The control groups will be demographically similar schools: one with a lunch menu not subject to any modifications and another with a menu subject to modifications presented in a self-consciously 'healthy' manner.

What will be the methodology used to test the hypothesis?

Given that conscious dietary restraint has been associated with weight gain rather than weight loss (Lluch 2002) the menu of the experimental test school will simply be modified to only include healthy options, but will not be presented as 'healthy.' These will be compared with schools with no modifications or who present the modifications as self-consciously 'healthy.'

What is the possibility of bias entering the study? If the study is susceptible to bias, state and explain the type of bias that may enter the study and what steps can be incorporated to minimize the entry of bias.

Statistical measurements of students' BMI will be used to lessen subjective perceptions of efficacy.

Based on your hypothesis/proposal, how will the proposed generated results help to develop an effective health policy for the target population of your chosen topic?

This could provide guidance as to the best way to 'market' changes in menus to students and decrease resistance while promoting weight loss.

Hypothesis 2

What is the hypothesis? What study design will be used to test the hypothesis?

Calorie awareness will result in dietary restraint.

What population will serve as the participants? How will the participants be recruited? What will be the inclusion/exclusion criteria for inclusion/exclusion from the study?

Two cafeterias at similar offices with similar numerical populations will be designed, one with calorie information clearly visible, the other without such information. The food will be the same at both areas. The calorie content of all items sold will be tabulated during the experimental period of study.

What will be the methodology used to test the hypothesis?

Experimental study design.