UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

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

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.