The role of science in building a critical view of the media
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Abstract
Some of the factors that most influence children's food choices are advertising and marketing strategies. The literature on the subject and official documents highlights the importance of science, through its capacity of critical reading of the world, for the education of healthy eating habits. This research is an exploratory case study, carried out with a group of 5-year-old children from a kindergarten of a Private Institution of Social Solidarity, in the north of Portugal. It answers the question "Which educational practices, in a pre-school education context, can promote the creation of healthy eating habits and minimize the effects of advertising on children's choices? To answer this question-problem two objectives were defined: (I) Implement educational strategies that can promote healthy eating by intervening with children; (II) Support children in building a more realistic view on food advertising and healthy eating. The study proved the importance of science, more specifically of practical activities, for the construction of a critical view of the world, more specifically of beverage advertisements.