According to a 2008 Federal Trade Commission report, overall expenditures to promote foods and beverages to children and adolescents in the United States were more than $1.6 billion annually. Studies indicate that exposure to food advertising influences children’s attitudes, preferences, and food purchase requests toward foods with low nutritional value. It is therefore important for More
Children in the United States grow up in environments saturated by food and beverage marketing, the bulk of it for foods low in nutrients and high in calories, sugars, salt and fat. Food and beverage companies reach children and adolescents using integrated marketing communications strategies, which encompass all forms of communication about products and services. More
This article examines children’s and adolescents’ fast-food choices and the influence of calorie labels on adolescent and parent food choice in lower-income communities in New York City (NYC) and Newark, New Jersey (comparison city) before and after mandatory menu labeling began in NYC. Researchers found no statistically significant differences in calories purchased before and after More
In the fall of 2009, the Chicago Board of Health will adopt changes to child-care regulations intended to improve nutrition standards, establish minimum time requirements for physical activity and set maximum time requirements for screentime. During a two-year voluntary phase-in period child-care providers will receive education and training to facilitate compliance. This study will evaluate More
Powerful new forms of interactive television (ITV) advertising are being deployed in the US, reaching over 50 million homes by early 2010. Fast-food companies are among those marketers in the forefront of harnessing TV’s potential to deliver personalized and more engaging commercial messages. The introduction of ITV advertising in the US coincides with three upcoming More
This article finds that mobile food vendors contribute to after-school snacking among children, and should be considered part of the school food environment. Based on data collected in Oakland, CA in the spring of 2008, researchers found a wide variety of vendors near schools. They include vendors who sell low-nutrient, calorie-dense items, such as ice More
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) by adolescents and children in the United States has been linked to less healthy diets, excessive caloric intake and weight gain, increased obesity rates, and associated adverse health effects, including increased rates of type 2 diabetes in adults. This research synthesis reviews evidence regarding the health effects of SSB consumption, More
This paper assesses the effect of mandated calorie labeling on fast food choices in New York City. A sample of more than 1,000 adults at fast-food restaurants in low-income, minority communities in New York was compared with a sample in Newark, New Jersey, which did not have a labeling mandate. The researchers found that while More
Major policy changes in WIC voucher provision for a wide range of healthy foods has the potential to impact the more than eight million U.S. families that receive WIC benefits as well as the food environment in low-income neighborhoods. In December 2008, investigators began conducting baseline research about the food choices that WIC participants make, More
The combination of obesity amidst food insecurity presents unique challenges to improving nutrition and feeding policies in institutions serving children. The aim of this study is to evaluate child care nutrition and feeding policies designed to decrease excess caloric consumption in the context of food insecurity and obesity. In this project, three intervention strategies will More
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