UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

There has been little recognition that people with type 2 diabetes are vulnerable to weight stigma and diabetes stigma, and almost no research examining the implications of these forms of stigma for their health and well-being. This study examined health behavior correlates of weight stigma and diabetes stigma in 1,227 adults with type 2 diabetes.

Full citation: Puhl RM, Himmelstein MS, Hateley-Browne JL, Speight J. Weight stigma and diabetes stigma in U.S. adults with type 2 diabetes: Associations with diabetes self-care behaviors and perceptions of health care. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2020;168:108387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2020.108387.

School meals can play an integral role in improving children’s diets and addressing health disparities. Initiatives and policies to increase consumption have the potential to ensure students benefit from the healthy school foods available. This systematic review evaluates studies examining initiatives, interventions, and policies to increase school meal consumption.

Full citation: Cohen, J.F.W.; Hecht, A.A.; Hager, E.R,; Turner, L.; Burkholder, K.; Schwartz, M.B. Strategies to Improve School Meal Consumption: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2021, 13, 3520. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103520.

The aim of the study is to examine family childcare providers’ (FCCPs) attitudes and perceived barriers related to nutrition, physical activity (PA), and screen time (ST) behaviors of preschool children, exploring differences by provider ethnicity.

Full citation: Jiang Q, Tovar A, Risica PM, et al. Ethnic Differences in Family Childcare Providers’ Nutrition- and Activity-Related Attitudes and Barriers. J Obes. 2021;2021:6697006. Published 2021 Oct 7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6697006.

This study evaluates messages about infant feeding on breastmilk substitute (BMS) manufacturer websites directed at US caregivers and compares information and portrayals of breast-feeding/breastmilk with that of infant formula (IF) feeding. A codebook was created through an iterative process to identify messages and images about breast-feeding/breastmilk and IF feeding, including benefits or issues associated with each, and direct-to-consumer marketing practices that could discourage breast-feeding.

Full citation: Pomeranz JL, Chu X, Groza O, Cohodes M, Harris JL. Breastmilk or infant formula? Content analysis of infant feeding advice on breastmilk substitute manufacturer websites [published online ahead of print, 2021 Sep 14]. Public Health Nutr. 2021;1-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980021003451

Toddler milk (ie, a nutrient-fortified milk-based drink marketed for children aged 12 to 36 months) has been marketed increasingly in the United States with structure/function claims on product packaging that are potentially misleading. This study examined how structure/function claims impact parents’ beliefs and perceptions about a toddler milk product.

Full citation:  Richter APC, Duffy EW, Taillie LS, Harris JL, Pomeranz JL, Hall MG. The impact of toddler milk claims on beliefs and misperceptions: A randomized experiment with parents of young children [published online ahead of print, 2021 Aug 12]. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;S2212-2672(21)01197-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.08.101 

This editorial discusses recent research on junk food consumption and makes recommendations for strategies to reduce purchases and consumption of foods high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.

Unhealthy weight control and disordered eating behaviors are prevalent among adolescents who identify as a gender and/or sexual minority (SGM). The current study examined how perceptions of school safety contribute to reduced negative weight control and eating behaviors across adolescents with diverse sexual and gender identities.

Educators’ negative weight biases toward students with high body weight have been well-documented. The present investigation examined whether inclusion of body weight in school anti-bullying policies is associated with lower levels of weight bias among educators.

This study aimed to assess milk type provision (commercially prepared infant and toddler formula, cow’s milk, and plant milk) to infants and toddlers, accounting for sociodemographic characteristics and marketing claims. Results show that most caregivers (63%) of infants (aged 6–11 months) provided only breastmilk and/or commercially prepared infant formula. Sixty-five percent of caregivers of 12-month-old infants provided commercially prepared infant formula, and 47% provided cow’s milk. 

Full citation: Romo-Palafox MJ, Harris JL. Caregiver’s Provision of Non-Recommended Commercially Prepared Milk-Based Drinks to Infants and Toddlers. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2021;53(8):643-653. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.05.006

A multi-level county-wide campaign to reduce sugary drink consumption was associated with significant decreases in retail sales of soda and fruit drinks. The aim of the current study was to examine changes in adolescent beverage consumption during the campaign by race/ethnicity and neighborhood food environment.

Full citation:  Boehm R, Cooksey-Stowers K, Schneider GE, Schwartz MB (2021). Race, Ethnicity, and Neighborhood Food Environment are Associated with Adolescent Sugary Drink Consumption During a 5-Year Community Campaign. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01074-9