UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 11% of American households experience food insecurity, with that number currently reaching 44% as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. Further, those burdened by food insecurity are known to be at an increased risk of overweight and obesity due to a lack of affordable, healthy options. While past work on this topic has focused on federal food and nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP, the food banking system is another important resource for those experiencing hunger.

The study, published in PLOS One, reports on in-depth interviews conducted with 10 key stakeholders (e.g., food bank directors, food bank board members, advocates, elected officials) who are familiar with the food banking system in a professional capacity. The data reveals a strong consensus among these stakeholders that both structural and social characteristics of the food banking system play a role in health disparities. 

Full citation: Cooksey Stowers K, Marfo NYA, Gurganus EA, Gans KM, Kumanyika SK, Schwartz MB. The hunger-obesity paradox: Exploring food banking system characteristics and obesity inequities among food-insecure pantry clients. PLoS One. 2020;15(10):e0239778. Published 2020 Oct 21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239778

This report shares information about how Connecticut school districts continued serving meals to students and their families between March and June of 2020. The primary aims are to (1) document meal distribution practices implemented during the closures; (2) articulate the types of challenges encountered by food service directors; and (3) describe the innovations and best practices developed to overcome the challenges.

Full Citation: Hua SV, Sterner-Stein K, Barg FK, et al. A Qualitative Study of Parents With Children 6 to 12 Years Old: Use of Restaurant Calorie Labels to Inform the Development of a Messaging Campaign. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(11):1884-1892.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2020.05.018

Links between obesity and complications of COVID-19 have received increasing attention throughout the pandemic. But a different aspect of body weight – the social stigma that people face because of their weight – may also have harmful implications for people’s health during the pandemic. New research from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and the University of Minnesota shows that young adults who experienced weight stigma before the pandemic have higher levels of depressive symptoms, stress, eating as a coping strategy, and are more likely to binge-eat during COVID-19 compared to those who haven’t experienced weight stigma. 

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

Full citation: Puhl RM, Lessard LM, Larson N, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Stzainer D. Weight Stigma as a Predictor of Distress and Maladaptive Eating Behaviors During COVID-19: Longitudinal Findings From the EAT Study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2020;54(10):738-746. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaa077

Full Citation: Quinn DM, Puhl RM, Reinka MA. Trying again (and again): Weight cycling and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0239004. Published 2020 Sep 11. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239004

Full Citation: Cohen JFW, Schwartz MB, Leider J, Turner L, Chriqui JF. Meal Quality of Entrées That Can Be Sold as Competitive Foods in Schools and Potential Impact of the Proposed USDA Rollbacks. Nutrients. 2020;12(10):3003. Published 2020 Sep 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103003

Full Citation: Cooksey Stowers K, Jiang Q, Atoloye A, Lucan S, Gans K. Racial Differences in Perceived Food Swamp and Food Desert Exposure and Disparities in Self-Reported Dietary Habits. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(19):7143. Published 2020 Sep 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197143