Picture This: Photographing Food Available in the Local Community Led to Parents Asking Why There is so Much Ultra-Processed and Fast Food

Rutgers Health researchers study a strategy for generating grassroots awareness of the prevalence and marketing of ultra-processed food

Feeding children ultra-processed foods, such as chicken nuggets, is common in the US. Social norms like this are difficult to change, but Rutgers Health researchers found that when parents take photos of the food available to them, their perceptions shift and they begin to question this norm.

The mothers went from being passive consumers to consumers who questioned the choices they are being given at the market and elsewhere in the community.

Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia

Professor, Rutgers School of Health Professions

In their study, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, researchers gave cameras to 25 mothers of preschoolers living in Newark, N.J., and asked them to take pictures of the food in the local neighborhood, such as food found in grocery markets, restaurants and social events. The mothers took photographs two weeks before and after a nutrition education session on ultra-processed food.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sponsors the journal, young people ages 1 to 18 consume about 61.9% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods and beverages that are high in sodium, additives, sugar or unhealthy fats.

"Ultra-processed foods are especially prevalent in in underserved communities, where families are bombarded by advertising and fast food " said Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, professor at Rutgers School of Health Professions and an author of the study. "When we socialize children to eat ultra-processed food it is difficult to change once they reach adulthood."

The mothers submitted 814 photographs. When the photographs were discussed, Rothpletz-Puglia said, "They saw how foods like sugary cereals and drinks, chicken nuggets, French fries and packaged foods are designed to appeal to young children and are aggressively marketed in brightly colored packaging placed at children's eye level. They also began to examine ingredient lists and to comment on the number of fast food opportunities compared to fewer healthier food restaurant options."

Researchers used Photovoice- a method in which people use photography to document and discuss the challenges they face in their lives - and discovered the process did more than just gather data: It changed the mothers' perception of the food available to them.

"The mothers went from being passive consumers to consumers who questioned the choices they are being given at the market and elsewhere in the community," said Rothpletz-Puglia, adding the study shows the potential for participatory methods of research in which participants are given the tools to analyze their surroundings to evoke grassroots advocacy for change.

The mothers' suggestions for change - more local markets such as Afro-Caribbean markets, which have less direct advertising than large grocery stores, more opportunities to purchase fresh seafood from local markets, leveraging cultural foodways and empowering community advocacy - were highlighted in a Photovoice exhibit at Leaguer's Inc. in Newark on December 13, 2024 that showcased the photos taken during the study and audio with comments from the mothers, which were attended by academics, local leaders, community members and representatives from various agencies.

The study was funded by Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health initiative awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve health outcomes in underserved New Jersey communities.

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