The Magic of Healthy Eating at Disney

Is the happiest place on earth also becoming the healthiest place on earth? That may be a bit of a reach, but the Walt Disney Company has been improving the nutritional quality of meals offered at their park restaurants. In a new study, researchers examined the impact and acceptability of these healthy changes among diners.

Before these healthy changes took place at the Disney parks, the default side for kid’s meals was French fries and the default beverage was soda. In 2006, the Walt Disney Company swapped out the French fries and soda and offered new defaults of fruit and vegetables and low-fat milk or water. Customers are still able to order French fries and soda if they choose to 'opt-out’ of the healthy defaults.

Disney recently provided the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center with data on the sales of kid’s meals for the years 2010-2012. The results indicated that customers are embracing the healthy changes. Across all 145 restaurants located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, 48 percent of guests accepted the healthy default sides and 66 percent of guests accepted the healthy default beverages. The healthy defaults significantly improved the nutritional quality of the meals, reducing calories by 21 percent, fat by 44 percent and sodium by 43 percent. Furthermore, Disney reported the healthy changes did not impact meal cost for customers.

Bottom Line: The Walt Disney Company demonstrated that small changes can significantly improve the nutritional quality of a meal without increasing the cost or restricting choice. Many restaurants have also responded to consumers’ demands for more transparency of nutrition information by displaying calorie counts on their menus or highlighting ‘heart healthy’ options. The ‘opt-out’ approach adopted by the Walt Disney Company is another great way to make eating healthy easier for consumers. 

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End the Food Fight

Could your weight be causing a food fight at the table? New research published by the American Pediatric Association looked at the association between parent and adolescent weight status and parent feeding practices, such as engaging in food pressure or food restriction.

The researchers analyzed results from two 2010 studies of kids' food consumption. More than 2,100 teens, whose average age was 14, took part in the studies along with 3,252 parents. The study found that when both parents and adolescents were at a normal weight, parents were more likely to pressure their adolescents to eat more. When parents and kids were overweight or obese, parents were more likely to restrict food.

Research shows that both of these feeding practices, eating pressure and food restriction, may lead a child to become overweight or obese, or engage in unhealthy eating behaviors such as bingeing, purging or restricting.

Bottom Line: Experts recommend that parents provide their children a variety of healthy food options and allow them to decide the amount that they eat. Parents can lead by example to encourage their children to engage in healthy eating behaviors and physical activity.

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