UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

Food pantries select foods with higher nutritional quality, such as fresh produce, brown rice, and low-fat meats, when nutrition information is made available according to new research from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Selections of less healthy options, such as sugary juice drinks, higher fat dairy, and higher fat meats, also decrease when nutrition information is available.

Dr. Rebecca Puhl, Deputy Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, joins Adam to deep dive into the concept of weight stigma and how often we misunderstand the science of weight gain. Rebecca covers the relationship between weight stigma and eating disorders, the role personal behavior does and does not play into weight gain, how “genes load the gun but environment pulls the trigger,” weight bias in the medical field, what to say to yourself when you look in the mirror, and more.

Weight bias is a pervasive problem in our society, showing up in our homes, physician offices and even the workplace. But weight bias isn’t just a social injustice, it’s also a public health issue due to its far-ranging effects on those who experience and internalize it. In this episode of the Business Group on Health podcast, Dr. Rebecca Puhl joins to talk about the consequences of weight-based blame and shame on patients, employees and children, as well as how we can recognize and reduce weight bias.

In response to concerns about childhood obesity, many US states have implemented policies to limit the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages (e.g., snacks, desserts, and sugary drinks) sold in competition with school meal programs (i.e., competitive foods) in order to improve the nutritional environment of schools and support student health. This study measured state-level competitive food and beverage policies that require foods and beverages sold in à la carte lines, vending machines, and school stores to meet strong nutrition standards and tested the hypothesis that students living in states with stronger laws would have lower body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentiles.

Full Citation: Schwartz MB, Leider J, Cohen JFW, Turner L, Chriqui JF. Association between Nutrition Policies and Student Body Mass Index. Nutrients. 2020;13(1):13. Published 2020 Dec 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010013

In 2020, impediments to pediatric obesity (PO) treatment remain pervasive, even though these barriers are clearly documented in medical literature. Providers must invest considerable resources to overcome these barriers to care. Notable barriers include gaps in medical education, misperceptions of the disease, weight bias and stigma, exclusion of coverage in health plans, and thus an unsustainable financial framework. Hence, this review offers an updated social-ecological framework of accessibility to care, wherein each barrier to care or variable is interdependent on the other and each is critical to creating forward momentum.

Full citation: Srivastava G, Browne N, Kyle TK, et al. Caring for US Children: Barriers to Effective Treatment in Children with the Disease of Obesity. Obesity. 2020;29(1):46-55. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22987

The coronavirus pandemic has closed schools nationwide, and educational websites are an important component of the remote learning experience. Engaging, educational websites are also useful for parents in search of quality digital media to occupy their children while social distancing at home. However, many popular educational websites are advertisement (ad)-supported: A review of 551 children’s educational websites showed that approximately 60% have ads or unclear policies around advertising, including policies on behavioral and contextual advertising.

Full Citation: Emond JA, Fleming-Milici F, McCarthy J, et al. Unhealthy Food Marketing on Commercial Educational Websites: Remote Learning and Gaps in Regulation. Am J Prev Med. 2021;60(4):587-591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.10.008

Previous food marketing effects research focused primarily on TV advertising to younger children. However, recent research with adolescents demonstrates the following: (a) unique effects of food marketing on adolescents; (b) extensive exposure to social media and other digital marketing “disguised” as entertainment and messages from peers; (c) adolescents’ still developing and hypersensitive reward responsivity to appetitive cues; and (d) disproportionate appeals to Black and Hispanic youth, likely exacerbating health disparities affecting their communities.

Full citation: Harris JL, Yokum S, Fleming-Milici F. Hooked on Junk: Emerging Evidence on How Food Marketing Affects Adolescents’ Diets and Long-Term Health. Current Addiction Reports. 2020;8(1):19-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00346-4

Stakeholders increasingly recognize the role of policy in implementing Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) frameworks in schools; however, few tools are currently available to assess alignment between district policies and WSCC concepts. The purpose of this study was to expand the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) for evaluation of policies related to all 10 domains of the WSCC model.

Full Citation: Koriakin TA, McKee SL, Schwartz MB, Chafouleas SM. Development of a Comprehensive Tool for School Health Policy Evaluation: The WellSAT WSCC. Journal of School Health. 2020;90(12):923-939. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12956

Parental concerns about child’s weight and encouraging their child to diet increase the likelihood of weight-based teasing by family members, according to a new study from researchers at the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and the University of Minnesota. Adolescents teased about their weight by family members were also found to have higher levels of stress and substance use and lower self-esteem in young adulthood.

Full citation: Lessard LM, Puhl RM, Larson N, Simone M, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D. Parental Contributors to the Prevalence and Long-term Health Risks of Family Weight Teasing in Adolescence [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 27]. J Adolesc Health. 2020;S1054-139X(20)30587-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.09.034