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Positive effects of a healthy snack (fruit) versus an unhealthy snack (chocolate/crisps) on subjective reports of mental and physical health: a preliminary intervention study
The aim of this intervention study conducted by Smith & Rogers (2014) was to examine the interaction between well-being and types of snacks (chocolate/crisps vs fruit) consumed. The 100 student volunteers (average age 19, 27 males; 73 females) completed online questionnaires at baseline measuring anxiety and depression, fatigue, somatic symptoms, cognitive difficulties and distress before being randomly assigned to one of two snacking conditions (chocolate/crisps or fruit). The volunteers were given 1 snack mid-afternoon each day for 10 days before taking the online questionnaires again. At baseline, chocolate consumption was linked with greater emotional eating and depression, while post-intervention analyses indicated an association between eating fruit with lower anxiety, depression, and emotional distress, compared to chocolate and crisps consumption. Those volunteers who were given chocolate/crisps also scored higher in cognitive difficulties, fatigue and somatic symptoms, further emphasizing the benefits of consuming fruits, rather than unhealthy snacks, on health outcomes. These results support the findings from cross-sectional studies and mark the importance of choosing snack type in achieving mental well-being. [NPID: mood, well-being, depression, females, women, university students, college students, students, food journal]
Year: 2014
