80

While some food brands seek to deploy a well-being promise in their communications, this article aims to define the profile of a food well-being that respects young consumers’ needs. The study tackles the concept of well-being from a children-centered perspective, based on advertising content and analyzing children’s responses through the lens of positive psychology. It thus highlights how brands may promote food well-being toward children while respecting the child’s specificities. It shows that, from the children’s perspective, food generates objective and subjective as well as transient and durable well-being. While reminding us of the effect of food on vitality, health, sensory, and social pleasure, it specifically advocates considering the child as an actor of his/her food consumption and valuing his/her needs for autonomy, responsibility, and strong affective links as sources of well-being.