UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

Marketing claims promote benefits of providing infant formula and toddler milks that are not supported by scientific evidence, yet 60% of caregivers surveyed mistakenly believe these products provide nutrition not present in breastmilk, whole milk or other healthy foods, according to a new paper published in Maternal and Child Nutrition from researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. Relatedly, caregivers who participated in the study who believe these unsupported claims are significantly more likely to serve infant formula and toddler milk to their children, despite expert recommendations that toddler milks are not necessary for toddlers and that breastmilk is superior to infant formula for infants up to 12 months.

Full citation: Rubino F, Puhl RM, Cummings DE, et al. Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity. Nature Medicine. 2020;26(4):485-497. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0803-x

Full citation: Romo-Palafox MJ, Pomeranz JL, Harris JL. Infant formula and toddler milk marketing and caregiver’s provision to young children. Maternal & Child Nutrition. 2020;16(3):e12962. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12962

Full citation: Asada Y, Hughes A, Read M, et al. “On a Positive Path”: School Superintendents’ Perceptions of and Experiences With Local School Wellness Policy Implementation and Evaluation [published online ahead of print, 2020 Mar 2]. Health Promot Pract. 2020;1524839920907559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839920907559

National rates of obesity in American youth and adults remain high and yet many societal messages tell us that you should be ashamed of being larger than certain standards suggest. Studies bear out that this form of discrimination hinders many people’s chances in this society and can result in some very harmful effects, like depression, eating disorders, reduced self esteem and other chronic diseases. Dr. Rebecca Puhl joins the America Trends Podcast to help sort through the messaging in our culture.

Formula companies quadrupled their advertising of toddler milk products over a ten year period, contributing to a 2.6 times increase in the amount of toddler milk sold, according to a new paper published in Public Health Nutrition from researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. This rapid increase in sales occurred despite recommendations from health and nutrition experts. Recently, an expert panel representing the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association issued guidance recommending that parents do not serve toddler milks, as young children do not need them and the added sugars in these drinks raise concerns.

Full citation: Boehm R, Read M, Henderson KE, Schwartz MB. Removing competitive foods v. nudging and marketing school meals: a pilot study in high-school cafeterias. Public Health Nutr. 2020;23(2):366-373. https://doi.org/10.1017/S136898001900329X

Full citation: Choi YY, Ludwig A, Harris JL. US toddler milk sales and associations with marketing practices. Public Health Nutr. 2020;23(6):1127-1135. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019003756

Full citation: Puhl RM. What words should we use to talk about weight? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies examining preferences for weight-related terminology. Obes Rev. 2020;21(6):e13008. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13008

Full citation: Harris JL. Targeted Food Marketing to Black and Hispanic Consumers: The Tobacco Playbook. Am J Public Health. 2020;110(3):271-272. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305518