Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My Science fair project idea is due in a week. Today, I came up with the plan to test if different colored containers affected the amount elderly people ate. This began when i saw a video of a young woman who explained that different colored plates stimulate the elderly to eat 24% more and drink over 80% more. My parents feed my great grandmother every night and my great grandmother often gives up on eating because she shakes and is often dehydrated too, so I wondered, would using different colors stimulate her to eat and drink more? I would be using my great grandmother a a test subject but I'm afraid that it would be considered unsafe. I will take containers of primary colors, and give my great grandmother her food in those every night. Then I will see if the amount of food and water she consumed has increased from what it was when clear containers were used. Do you think this idea is high level enough for a 9th grader? Also, do you think that the risk is small enough that it will be approved?

A week isn't a lot of time to do a study like that, and a sample of one person isn't scientifically robust. The study is an interesting one and if you took data for a longer period of time and with more test subjects, you might get some interesting results. Is it just the idea that's due in a week or the whole project?

If you approached a local senior residence or similar facility and spoke with a staff nutritionist they might be able to work with you. The nutritionist would have to monitor what they eat to make sure they don't eat too much or too little, and you'd have to get the residents to agree to be part of the study. The facility my mother-in-law is in (and the residents) would probably help out on something like this if it were designed properly.

If you have the time to do the study, talk it over with a doctor and/or a nutritionist/dietician responsible for the food & drink and see what they say. Done with supervision this could be a fun & safe project.