Eating fruits and vegetables : An Ethnographic Study of American and French Family Dinners.

International audienceThe French eat more fruits and vegetables than Americans and have lower rates of childhood obesity. This ethnographic study compares various aspects of meal environment in sixteen households in LA, Cal- ifornia and Paris, France, and offers insights on the relationship between local practices and preferences and children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables. Our analysis of video-recorded naturalist data reveals that the consumption of fruits and vegetables is linked to the cultural organization of dinner – what, when and how food is served – and to local beliefs about children’s eating practices. We also found that the French model for dinnertime prioritizes the eating of fruits and vegetables more than the American model does. We propose that local eating models should be taken into account in research on child- hood obesity and in prevention programs