Nutrition
University Pouring Rights Contracts: Provisions That May Protect Companies From Beverage Policies
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with chronic diseases across the lifespan.1 Despite the recent modest decreases in consumption,2 SSBs remain the single largest source of added sugars and calories in the U.S. diet,3 and increases in consumption among children and adolescents highlight priorities for public health intervention.4 Beverage companies further drive this increase in consumption by entering into legal agreements (i.e., pouring rights contracts) with schools to be the sole provider of SSBs in return for payments and promotions worth millions of dollars.The Long-Term Effect of Food Insecurity During College on Future Food Insecurity
Food insecurity has been associated with adverse health and academic outcomes among college students. However, little is known about the long-term impacts of experiencing food insecurity during college. This study examines the impacts of college food insecurity (measured from 1999 to 2003) on future food insecurity (measured from 2015 to 2017) and whether this association differs by economic independence during college.Disparities in Adult Fast-Food Consumption in the U.S. by Race and Ethnicity, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2018
This study provides the most recent estimates for fast-food consumption in the U.S., overall and by race/ethnicity and age.Unhealthy Food Marketing on Commercial Educational Websites: Remote Learning and Gaps in Regulation
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.Food Insecurity and Intimate Partner Violence Among HIV-Positive Individuals in Rural Kenya
Intimate partner violence and food insecurity are both structural drivers of HIV acquisition, care, and treatment, but little is known about how the 2 conditions intersect in the lives of those already living with HIV.The Right to Food: Building Upon “Food Is Medicine”
During the past decade, the “food is medicine” movement has captured momentum and successfully acted upon evidence that a nutritionally adequate diet supports better health outcomes. Despite progress being made in integrating provision of food into healthcare services, there are on the ground limitations of “food is medicine” interventions that need to be acknowledged as barriers to creating lasting change. Goals must now expand beyond remediating the physiologic impacts of a poor diet and reducing associated healthcare costs and evolve toward the larger goal of promoting health over the long term.Healthier Food and Beverage Interventions in Schools: Recommendation of the Community Preventive Services Task Force
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) issued separate findings for the 4 interventions to increase the availability of healthier meals, snacks, and beverages in schools.Demographic Groups Likely Affected by Regulating Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Portion Sizes
Sugar-sweetened beverages are a key driver of obesity. Portion-size regulations typically limit the volume of unsealed sugar-sweetened beverage containers to 16 fluid ounces. These regulations could reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, but whom these policies would affect remains unknown. This study evaluates demographic groups likely affected by hypothetical national portion-size regulations modeled on policy language and scopes from New York City and California.Healthy Behavior Adherence: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2016
Leading public health institutions recommend participation in several evidence-based behaviors, including exercise, a healthy diet, and maintenance of a normal BMI while simultaneously avoiding cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. The investigators attempted to evaluate the collective adherence to these recommendations and population trends in these behaviors by evaluating nationally representative surveys over a period of 12 years.The Sequelae of Premigration Hunger Among Venezuelan Immigrant Children in the U.S.
Since 2015, two defining features of life in Venezuela are hunger and emigration. In the face of the once prosperous nation's hyperinflation and severe economic collapse, food scarcity is a regular occurrence such that undernourishment is a growing issue.1 The UN2 estimates that more than 4 million Venezuelans have left their country because of their nation's manifold social and economic challenges. Although prior research has shown that hunger and the stress of migration can potentiate risk for behavioral health problems, no research has examined the experiences of Venezuelan children in diaspora.Facilitators and Barriers to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Incentive Use: Findings From a Clinic Intervention for Low-Income Patients
Healthy food incentives matching Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits spent on fruits and vegetables subsidize increased produce consumption among low-income individuals at risk for food insecurity and diet-related disease. Yet many eligible participants do not use these incentives, in part because of limited awareness. This study examined the acceptability and impact of a primary care–based informational intervention on facilitators and barriers to use of the statewide SNAP incentive program Double Up Food Bucks.Harnessing the Power of Food Labels for Public Health
Change is coming to food labeling. Rules that require calorie content on menus at chain restaurants, movie theaters, and similar venues went into effect in early May 2018. A revised Nutrition Facts label, including more prominent calorie listings, added sugars, and updated serving sizes, is already appearing on food packages and will be required by 2020 and 2021, depending on company size. Against this backdrop, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a Nutrition Innovation Strategy in July 2018, under which the agency is seeking public comments on several strategies intended to modernize food labels.Changes in Sitting Time and Cardiovascular Mortality in Older Adults
Prolonged sitting time has demonstrated consistent associations with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, but most previous studies have analyzed these associations assessing sitting time at one single point and providing scarce evidence on causal links. The main objective of this study was to analyze the association of 2-year changes in sitting time with subsequent long-term cardiovascular disease mortality in older adults.The U.S. Food Supply: The Need to Protect Biological and Nutritional Safety
Ensuring the safety of national food supplies is one of the most important mandates of government. The Trump administration’s budget priorities and their recent actions to delay or reverse implementation of key food policies constitute a threat to the safety of the nation’s food system. In a complex, industrial, and globally connected food system, in which the threat of intentional tampering of the food supply (i.e., bioterrorism) looms, the need to ensure a safe food supply for everyone has never been greater.The Potential for Federal Preemption of State and Local Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes
Federal, state, and local governments each have a role to play in protecting health. President Obama recognized that “state and local governments have frequently protected health, safety, and the environment more aggressively than has the national Government.”1 Yet, the federal government can hinder state and local activity through preemption, which is “when a higher level of government restricts, or even eliminates, a lower level of government’s ability to regulate an issue.”2 State governments can similarly preempt local law.A School-Based Brand Marketing Program’s Adherence to Federal Nutrition Criteria
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 gave the U.S. Department of Agriculture authority to regulate school wellness policies, which include nutritional standards for foods advertised in schools. Brand marketing programs, which encourage students to purchase a company’s products in exchange for money or rewards, were not explicitly prohibited. This study assesses the nutritional quality of products participating in “Box Tops for Education” (“Box Tops”), one of the largest national brand marketing programs in schools.Improving the Nutritional Impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:: Perspectives From the Participants
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal food assistance program designed to alleviate food insecurity and improve dietary intake. This study assessed the opinions of SNAP participants and food-insufficient nonparticipants on their perceptions of the program and strategies to improve its nutritional impact.Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reform:: Retail Requirements, Eligible Foods
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports 45 million people, mostly children, elderly, and disabled individuals, at risk for food insecurity. Congress’s Declaration of SNAP Policy states that the program’s goal is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by raising the levels of nutrition among low-income households.1 SNAP has been found to successfully reduce food insecurity2; however, the program does not seem to be meeting its nutrition-related goals. SNAP participants consume more foods associated with chronic disease, such as sugary beverages, and less foods considered healthful than income-eligible nonparticipants.The Curious History of the Calorie in U.S. Policy:: A Tradition of Unfulfilled Promises
In April 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released its latest iteration of a “final rule” on menu calorie labeling for restaurants and other “establishments selling away-from-home foods.”1 Among other regulations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would delay implementation for a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requiring chain restaurants, pizza parlors, and movie theaters to print calorie counts on their menus. These establishments will now have until May 2017 before they will be required to post this information.Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Results from a 2011 National Public Opinion Survey
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages including nondiet sodas, sport drinks, and energy drinks has been linked with obesity. Recent state and local efforts to tax these beverages have been unsuccessful. Enactment will be unlikely without public support, yet little research is available to assess how to effectively make the case for such taxes.Federal Nutrition Program Changes and Healthy Food Availability
Literature on food environments is expanding rapidly, yet a gap exists regarding the role of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) on healthy food availability. In October 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revised the WIC food package, requiring certified stores to stock fresh produce, whole grains, and lower-fat milk.Food Expenditures and Food Purchasing Among Low-Income, Urban, African-American Youth
Low-income, urban African-American youth are at higher risk for obesity and less likely to meet dietary recommendations than white, higher-income youth. Patterns of food purchasing among youth likely contribute to these disparities, but little published information is available.Starting The Conversation: Performance of a Brief Dietary Assessment and Intervention Tool for Health Professionals
For chronic disease prevention and management, brief but valid dietary assessment tools are needed to determine risk, guide counseling, and monitor progress in a variety of settings. Starting The Conversation (STC) is an eight-item simplified food frequency instrument designed for use in primary care and health-promotion settings.
