Evidence

Food Dudes has been developed and extensively tested with thousands of children aged 2-11 in homes, nurseries and primary schools in England (Oxford, Manchester and London), Wales and Ireland and it has been shown in every case to be highly successful in getting children to eat fruit and vegetables.

The results of the studies to date indicate that the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme works very well in primary schools and brings about substantial increases in pupils’ consumption of fruit and vegetables.

Some of the key findings from this research are listed below:

• Large increases in consumption. See interactive graph one.

  Large increases in consumption

  Large increases in F&V consumption were seen in the Food Dudes School 4 months after they received the Food Dudes program. No change in consumption was seen in the Control School, which received only free fruit and vegetables.
  

   

  

  Horne et al. (2004) Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 58, pp1649-1660.

• The greatest increases in consumption are shown by those children who ate the least at the start i.e., poorest eaters. See interactive graph two.

  "Poorest Eaters" benefit the most
  

  The children who ate the least F&V before Food Dudes, i.e. "Poorest Eaters" were the ones who benefitted most from the programme and showed the largest increases in consumption.

  

  Horne et al. (2004) Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 58, pp1649-1660.

• Increases in consumption are long-lasting. See interactive graph three.

  Increases in consumption are long-lasting

  Large increases in both parental provision of F&V in children's packed lunches, and in children's consumption of F&V from their packed lunches have been observed in Food Dudes Schools at least 12 months after the programme.

  

  Horne et al. (2009) Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 63, pp613-618.

• Increases extend across a wide range of fruit and vegetable varieties. See interactive graph four.

  Increases extend across a wide range of fruit and vegetable varieties
  

  This graph shows consumption data from a study conducted in a Food Dudes school in Manchester (163 children, aged 4-11yrs).
  
  Pre-intervention consumption data is shown for 8 different types of fruit and vegetables – click on the graph to see consumption data for these same foods after the Food Dudes intervention.

  

  Lowe et al. (2004) Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 58, pp510-522.

• The Programme works for all children aged 2-11 years old. See interactive graph five.

  The Programme works for all children aged 2-11 years old
  

  The graphs below shows consumption data before the Food Dudes intervention at both snacktime (hatched bars) and lunchtime (solid bars) in children aged 2-4yrs.

  

  Tapper et al. (2003) The Psychologist 16(1), pp18-21.

• The effects generalise across contexts i.e., school to home.
• The Programme is equally effective for boys and girls.
• Effects are highly reliable, regardless of school location and social deprivation.

Clearly, if you want to change children’s diets, it is not enough just to give them good food. You also have to find a way of motivating them to eat and enjoy it. This is where the Food Dudes Programme comes into its own.

Downloads of Published Research Papers

Horne et al. (2009a) Increasing children's physical activity. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr.
Horne et al. (2009b) Increasing lunchbox F&V. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr.
Greenhalgh et al. (2009) Positive- and negative peer modeling. Appetite.
Lowe et al. (2004) Effects of a peer-modelling and rewards-based intervention. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr.
Horne et al. (2004) Increasing children's F&V consumption. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr.