Researchers Try Paying Kids To Eat Their Veggies

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Our Last Word In Business presents a somewhat crass approach to getting kids to eat healthy.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

You say this: Eat your vegetables - there's money in it for you!

GREENE: Researchers, teachers, parents have tried everything to get kids to eat their vegetables - pile their plates, give tons of options. Nothing seems to work.

INSKEEP: Researchers at Brigham Young and Cornell universities have come up with a last-ditch effort: Just pay the kids.

GREENE: In the experiment, kids at some schools got a nickel for eating up those greens; others got a quarter or a raffle ticket.

INSKEEP: Veggie consumption went up 80 percent.

GREENE: Wow.

INSKEEP: But the incentive did not seem to change kids' desires or habits. As soon as the payments stopped, vegetable eating stopped, too. Hey, it's a market.

That's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

GREENE: And I'm David Greene.

INSKEEP: I'll pay you a nickel to say that.

GREENE: That'd be great.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.