Product Attributes and Purchasing Behaviour: How Parents' Food Choices Can Act on Their Children's BMI? Empirical Evidence from a Case Study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Given the epidemic proportions and economic costs associated with nutrition related diseases in Western countries, an empirical study was carried-out between September and December 2014 in Campania, the Italian region with the highest prevalence of obese children. METHODS The survey was conducted in a secondary school and involved 145 children, aged 11 to 14, and their parents, with the ultimate aim of studying the relationship between the behaviour of parents regarding the use of nutrition labels, the attention to product quality and the body weight of their children. RESULTS The results from our study showed that unhealthy diet concerned stems from the misguided food choices of their parents, who are responsible for their children's dietary habits, lifestyle and body weight. CONCLUSION In order to incentivise adults and young people to change their food choices and eating behaviour in favour of healthy and sustainable lifestyles, some useful measures could involve the improvement of political marketing and advertising, labelling clarity and better information and awareness campaigns to do sport and eat healthily. Finally some recent patents related to healthy reformulated food products and communication strategies, with specific regard to healthy eating, have been reviewed.