UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

Chronic health inequities for communities of color is partially attributed to a lack of healthy preferred food access. This manuscript explores whether corner stores and non-traditional food stores stock fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods that the area cultural communities may prefer as part of complying with a local ordinance. This exploratory analysis identified corner and non-traditional food stores located in immigrant populations of color and African American neighborhoods as part of a larger study.

Full citation: Hearst MO, Yang J, Friedrichsen S, Lenk K, Caspi C, Laska MN. The Availability of Culturally Preferred Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains in Corner Stores and Non-Traditional Food Stores. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(9):5030. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18095030

Children’s fast-food consumption increases risks for obesity and other diet-related diseases. To address concerns, from 2010 to 2016 U.S. fast-food restaurants implemented voluntary policies to offer healthier drinks and/or sides with kids’ meals. Logistic regression examined associations between healthier kids’ meal policy implementation and caregivers’ purchases of kids’ meals and selection of healthier sides and drinks. Separate models investigated caregivers’ attitudes about McDonald’s kids’ meal items.

Full citation: Choi YY, Hyary M, Fleming-Milici F, Harris JL. Voluntary healthier kids’ meals policies: Are caregivers choosing kids’ meals and healthier items for their child? [published online ahead of print, 2021 May 5]. Pediatr Obes. 2021;e12797. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12797

The Chilean government implemented the first phase of a comprehensive marketing policy in 2016, restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, total sugars, sodium or saturated fat (hereafter “high-in”). This study examined the role that high-in TV food advertising had in the effect of the policy on consumption of high-in products between 2016 and 2017.

Full Citation: Jensen ML, Carpentier FD, Adair L, Corvalán C, Popkin BM, Taillie LS. Examining Chile’s unique food marketing policy: TV advertising and dietary intake in preschool children, a pre- and post- policy study. Pediatr Obes. 2021;16(4):e12735. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12735

This study assesses parents’ ability to identify added sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners and juice in children’s drinks. Researchers recruited U.S. parents of young children (1-5 years) through an online survey panel. In a randomized experiment, participants indicated whether eight popular children’s drink products contained added sugar or nonnutritive sweeteners and percentage of juice after viewing (a) front-of-package alone or (b) front-of-package plus nutrition/ingredient information. Participants also viewed common statements of identity on children’s drinks to identify product ingredients.

Full Citation: Harris JL, Pomeranz JL. Misperceptions about added sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners and juice in popular children’s drinks: Experimental and cross-sectional study with U.S. parents of young children (1-5 years) [published online ahead of print, 2021 Apr 7]. Pediatr Obes. 2021;e12791. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12791

Researchers conducted an online experiment of 1,063 U.S. parents with young children 1-5 years old. Parents were shown packages of eight popular children’s drinks, including sweetened fruit drinks and flavored waters and unsweetened 100% juice and juice/water blends. Parents viewed either the front-of-package alone or the front-of-package with the information panel, which includes the nutrition facts panel and ingredient list, and were asked a series of questions about the drinks. This handout outlines key findings and recommendations based on the study.

The current investigation aimed to examine how internalized weight stigma, along with BMI, may explain the effect of weight controllability beliefs on disparate dietary behaviors. A community sample of 2702 U.S. adults completed an online survey about their weight controllability beliefs, eating behaviors, and internalized weight stigma, as well as demographic items and self-reported BMI.

Full Citation: Reinka MA, Quinn DM, Puhl RM. Examining the relationship between weight controllability beliefs and eating behaviors: The role of internalized weight stigma and BMI [published online ahead of print, 2021 Apr 14]. Appetite. 2021;164:105257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105257

Food pantries serve households in need, including many with a family member with a diet-related chronic disease, yet data on client priorities to inform hunger relief practices are lacking. This study used a statewide client survey in Minnesota to determine needs and priorities of food pantry clients in 2017 and 2019 and to identify how well Minnesota pantries met those needs in 2019.

Full Citation: Caspi CE, Davey C, Barsness CB, et al. Needs and Preferences Among Food Pantry Clients. Prev Chronic Dis. 2021;18:E29. Published 2021 Apr 1. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd18.200531

This report provides an overview of the organizational challenges and experiences of health-focused food banks nationwide during March – August of 2020. Interviews with 17 foods banks were conducted in August and September 2020. This report includes the themes from those interviews, and calls for policies, practices, and legislation that will enable decision makers across the country to join health-focused food banks in providing sustainable access to the healthy foods that help every community thrive, during pandemics and beyond.

The school environment plays an important role in children’s diets and overall health, and policies for universal free school meals have the potential to contribute to positive child health outcomes. This systematic review evaluates studies examining the association between universal free school meals and students’ school meal participation rates, diets, attendance, academic performance, and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as school finances.

Full Citation: Cohen JFW, Hecht AA, McLoughlin GM, Turner L, Schwartz MB. Universal School Meals and Associations with Student Participation, Attendance, Academic Performance, Diet Quality, Food Security, and Body Mass Index: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):911. Published 2021 Mar 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030911

Weight bias internalization (WBI) is an understudied form of internalized stigma, particularly among treatment- seeking adults with overweight/obesity. The current study surveyed 13,996 adults currently engaged in weight management in the first multinational study of WBI.

Full Citation: Pearl RL, Puhl RM, Lessard LM, Himmelstein MS, Foster GD. Prevalence and correlates of weight bias internalization in weight management: A multinational study. SSM Popul Health. 2021;13:100755. Published 2021 Feb 17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100755