UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

Despite substantial evidence documenting weight stigma toward people with higher body weight, international comparative studies are lacking in this field. The few studies that have compared weight stigma across different countries focus on explicit weight-biased attitudes rather than people’s experiences of weight stigma. The present study conducted a multinational systematic comparison of weight stigma in six countries to assess experiences and interpersonal sources of weight stigma.

Full citation: Puhl RM, Lessard LM, Pearl RL, Himmelstein MS, Foster GD. International comparisons of weight stigma: addressing a void in the field [published online ahead of print, 2021 Jun 1]. Int J Obes (Lond). 2021;10.1038/s41366-021-00860-z. https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-00860-z

This study aimed to assess the impact of the Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) system on client food selections at a food pantry. In a pre–post comparison study design, a client-choice food pantry implemented SWAP by reorganizing its inventory to promote healthy options. Each product was ranked as “choose often” (green), “sometimes” (yellow), or “rarely” (red) based on saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Signage was added to indicate each item’s SWAP rank and healthier foods were placed at eye level.

Full citation: McKee, S.L., Gurganus, E.A., Atoloye, A.T. et al.Pilot testing an intervention to educate and promote nutritious choices at food pantries.J Public Health (Berl.)(2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01570-6

Weight stigma is prevalent across the world. However, little is known about whether and how the harmful health consequences of weight stigma may vary across countries. The current study examined the association between experiences of weight stigma and multiple eating and exercise-related indicators among a large, multinational sample of adults.

Full citation: Lessard, L.M., Puhl, R.M., Himmelstein, M.S., Pearl, R.L. and Foster, G.D. (2021), Eating and Exercise-Related Correlates of Weight Stigma: A Multinational Investigation. Obesity, 29: 966-970. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23168

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

This study assessed cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between weight teasing and disordered eating in an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of young people and examined these relationships across sociodemographic characteristics.

Full citation: Hooper L, Puhl R, Eisenberg ME, Crow S, Neumark-Sztainer D. Weight teasing experienced during adolescence and young adulthood: Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with disordered eating behaviors in an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample [published online ahead of print, 2021 May 10]. Int J Eat Disord. 2021;10.1002/eat.23534. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23534

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.

Current labeling regulations and practices fail to give parents and caregivers adequate information and likely contribute to the widespread consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks by young children according to a new paper from researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut and School of Global Public Health at New York University. The study’s findings, published in Pediatric Obesity, revealed that when shown product packages and nutrition labels for the most popular children’s drinks, the majority of parents of young children cannot identify key ingredients in these drinks, including added sugars, diet sweeteners (also known as no-/low-calorie or high-intensity sweeteners), and/or percentage of juice.