During the focus group, participants were asked to list three to five examples of typical healthy and unhealthy snacks that they frequently consumed, and to explain why they perceived them as healthy or unhealthy. Food and beverages perceived as healthy and unhealthy snacks, and their frequency of consumption, are summarised in Figure 3.3 and Figure 3.4, respectively.
Figure 3.3 Frequently consumed snacks perceived as healthy by participants
The major reasons for judging a snack as healthy/ unhealthy are summarised in Figure 3.5. Overall, girls reported more concerns about food healthfulness than boys.
Figure 3.5 Basis for identifying healthy and unhealthy snacks by gender of participants
Nutritional values and contents
The nutritional value and content of food and drinks, specifically, high content of fat, sugar and salt, was the major criteria for judging snacks as unhealthy: “I think puffed foods are unhealthy,
as they contain a lot of fats.” (4; 1075). Unnatural food processing with chemical contents and
additives also characterised unhealthy snacks: “I like chicken feet with pickled peppers, but I think
it’s totally unhealthy. I heard it was processed using chemical stuff.” (2; 606-607). One cited
nutrition was vitamins. Homemade food and drinks were also perceived as healthier than commercial snacks, as they were often prepared in a more natural way, with less sugar, oil and salt: “Sometimes my parents make juice for me, with fresh fruits and milk. They don’t add anything
else, just milk and, say, bananas. I think that’s quite healthy. Juices you buy from stores are too sweet. They added too many sugars.” (2; 354-355); “I tried to eat more healthily sometimes…
For example, last night when I went to 7-Eleven to buy food, I took a bottle of juice. As it’s natural, and high in vitamin C.” (1; 68-73)
Most participants only had a general and ambiguous perception of the nutrition and contents of snacks they usually consumed, based to a large degree on information from their parents and media. The appearance and taste of food also provided clues. For instance, food which looked greasy was perceived as high in fat. Only one first-year girl mentioned she got nutritional information by reading food labels.
Family/media influence
Adolescents reported that their perception of healthy and unhealthy snacks was greatly
influenced by their parents’ comments on foods and drinks. Parents’ opinions also affected other criteria for identifying healthy and unhealthy snacks, such as adolescents’ views about the nutritional values of snacks and their impact on health and body weight. Some adolescents also talked about how they relied on information from the media to judge the healthfulness of snacks. However, media influence was reported to be more frequently exercised through adolescents’ parents rather than directly on them. TV and self-media on WeChat were described as two main resources of health information for their parents, for example: “My parents don’t let
me have carbonated drinks. They said carbonated drinks were bad. They’re spermicidal, and bad for teeth and bones. Anyway, whatever the experts said, my mum said it to me. The experts on TV. You know Yangshengtang (a popular Chinese TV programme introducing health
knowledge and advice)? She always watches it.” (3; 961-967)
Effects on physical health and body weight
Participants also judged the healthfulness of snacks by considering how they affected their body in the immediate and longer-term, including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health, for example: “Greasy food is not healthy, as you could feel physically ill after you have it.” (3; 863);
“I’ve heard that food that is high in fat and salt is bad for your health. It can lead to arteriosclerosis when you get older.” (1; 177-178)
Most adolescents showed a view of how snacks might influence physical health based on knowledge and information they learned from their parents, media or other sources, as presented above. A few adolescents talked about it based on their own experience, e.g., “I think sweets are
not so healthy, as they make me cough.” (2; 350). Food and drinks beneficial for weight loss were
perceived as healthier snacks. Girls talked about snacks’ effects on physical health and body weight more frequently than boys: “Carbonated drinks are unhealthy, as they make you fat.” (2;
328)
Food hygiene and safety
For boys, food hygiene and safety was one of the most important criteria by which they judged food / drink healthiness. Boys mentioned this more than girls. Adolescents expressed the belief that snacks that were homemade, provided by the school refectory or sold in regular stores were safe, while those from small retailers and street vendors were likely to be less safe: “I only buy
unhealthy snacks when I have no other choices. You know, those street foods. They’re unhygienic, usually quite dirty (1; 115). However, the access to ‘safe’ snacks was reported as good: “I do consider healthfulness of snacks, but most of the time there’re safe foods to buy, so I’m not concerned too much.” (1; 111). Products of major food brands were also reported as healthier
because they were perceived as safer: “Spicy gluten was very unhealthy. But now it becomes
qualified products with a good brand, and is sold in 7-Eleven. It’s even exported abroad. I think it’s much healthier now.” (1; 62-63)
“Snacking is unhealthy”
Many adolescents expressed that snacking per se was unhealthy. When asked to list the healthy and unhealthy snacks they frequently ate, they struggled to decide which snacks were actually healthy. When one asked, “are there any healthy snacks” (e.g., 4; 1113), other members echoed this uncertainty. Although listing examples of typical healthy snacks, some adolescents perceived them as not really healthy: “Oatmeal biscuits might be healthy. Well, I don’t think you can call it
healthy. It’s just slightly better than others. Basically there are no healthy snacks, and one should avoid snacking to be healthy.” (2; 325). Another group discussed:
M: “Didn’t you mention that yogurt is a healthy choice?”
P (1): “Well, I was just saying that it is relatively healthy compared to many other snacks. But overall it’s best not to snack at all.” (4; 1121-1123)
Another consideration brought up by girls was quantity; one girl argued that chocolate could be healthy if one ate a sensible amount. The boys did not raise this point.
In summary, the nutritional values and contents of snacks, as well as information from parents and media, were reported to influence their perception of snacks’ healthfulness for both boys and girls. Girls showed e more concern about the effects of snacks on physical health and body weight, while boys talked more about food hygiene and safety.