Social Marketing Campaigns for Healthier Eating Habits in France: VIF and “LES BONNES PORTIONS” (The Right Portions) Campaign Against Childhood Obesity

“Les Bonnes Portions” campaign, meaning “the Right Portions,” addresses children’s eating patterns as a whole and is part of the program «Vivons en forme» (meaning: “let’s be fit and healthy!”) or VIF®. This program is driven by FLVS, a non-profit organization which for more than 10 years has proposed preventive health programs targeting French children, following the former EPODE program. This campaign has a specific focus on the portion sizes theme: which portion for which child, regarding his/her age? And which portions of the different ingredients of a diet? Its main behavioral objectives are: For the school-meal staff: to help them give the right portion in accordance with nutritional recommendation linked to the child’s age. For the children of elementary school: to raise their good practices regarding treats such as candies, sugary drinks, and chips, however adding also emotional and sensory enjoyment experiences, and offering mindful eating apprenticeship. For children and their families: to adopt servings to the child’s needs—especially on meat, fries—and including all kinds of treats. It consists in forming professional actors (canteen staff and extracurricular staff) at a local level to support changing the behaviors of canteen staff, children, and families regarding food portion sizes and treats. The campaign is still ongoing, but some positive partial results are provided, such as the food waste in school canteens in Saint André-Lez-Lille, one of the first towns to adopt the campaign, which has halved, suggesting that children are receiving servings that are more adapted to their needs.