What happens when people step back and take a closer look at the food environment around them?
In a small study from Rutgers Health, researchers found that asking parents to photograph the foods available in their neighborhoods led many to question just how heavily ultraprocessed foods are marketed and how that environment may influence what children eat.
The study, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, involved 25 mothers of preschool-aged children living in Newark, New Jersey. Researchers gave participants cameras and asked them to photograph foods they encountered in grocery stores, restaurants, community events and other everyday settings.
The project used a research approach called Photovoice, which invites participants to document aspects of their daily lives through photography and then discuss what they observe.
Over two weeks, the mothers captured more than 800 photos of the food options they saw in their neighborhoods. The images included grocery store shelves, restaurant menus and displays aimed at children.
When researchers and participants reviewed the photographs together, many parents began to notice patterns in how foods were marketed and presented.
“They saw how foods like sugary cereals and drinks, chicken nuggets, French fries and packaged foods are designed to appeal to young children and are aggressively marketed in brightly colored packaging placed at children’s eye level,” said Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, a professor at Rutgers School of Health Professions and an author of the study.
Participants also observed how frequently fast food options appeared compared with restaurants or stores offering fresh or minimally processed foods.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and teenagers in the United States get about 61.9% of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods and beverages.
“Ultra-processed foods are especially prevalent in underserved communities, where families are bombarded by advertising and fast food,” Rothpletz-Puglia said. “When we socialize children to eat ultra-processed food it is difficult to change once they reach adulthood.”
The researchers found that the photography exercise itself appeared to shift how participants thought about their food environment.
“The mothers went from being passive consumers to consumers who questioned the choices they are being given at the market and elsewhere in the community,” Rothpletz-Puglia said.
During group discussions, participants began examining ingredient lists, noticing marketing strategies aimed at children and reflecting on how often ultraprocessed foods were the most visible or convenient options.
Some parents also suggested ways their communities could expand food choices. Ideas included supporting more small local markets, highlighting cultural food traditions and increasing access to fresh seafood and other whole foods.
The researchers say participatory approaches like Photovoice may help communities better understand how local food environments shape eating habits.
At the same time, the study was small and focused on a single community, so the findings cannot show how widely the effect might apply.
Still, the results highlight a broader question researchers increasingly study: how food environments, marketing and availability influence the everyday decisions families make about what to eat.
Understanding those influences may be an important step in helping communities identify ways to support healthier eating patterns.
The research was supported by the Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help improve health outcomes in underserved communities.