A study by the University of Agder has found that offering free fruit in schools do not have any effect on obesity among children.
The study appeared in PLOS Medicine.
The free fruit in schools diet occurred between 2007 and 2014, with an aim at promoting learning and improving diet.
During the study, over 11,000 children and adolescents had their height and weight measured.
From the findings: “In this study we observed little evidence that the Norwegian nationwide free fruit and vegetable (FFV) policy had any notable beneficial effect or unintended consequence on weight status among Norwegian children and adolescents.”
“Our findings suggest that a national free fruit and vegetable policy alone is unlikely to have a notable impact on population childhood weight outcomes; however, such policies may promote a healthy diet without unintended consequences,” researchers concluded.
