The goal of this project is to examine how increases in family income generated by geographic- and time-varying changes in earned income tax credits (EITC) impact children’s body mass index, and how this effect may depend on their neighborhood food environment and regional food prices. Focusing on EITC-generated income changes amounts to a quasi-experimental research More
A RWJF-sponsored conference on childhood obesity and children’s body mass index (BMI) has led to a special supplement on the surveillance, screening and reporting of children’s BMI. The conference, which was held in January 2008, convened a forum of researchers and clinicians who are addressing obesity in their respective fields. The goals of the meeting More
This paper finds that school district policies related to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and exposure to SSB in middle schools were significant predictors of student SSB consumption. The paper describes the association between: 1) exposure to SSBs in middle school and student consumption of SSB at schools and 2) school district SSB policies and exposure to More
This paper demonstrates that a 19-item beverage and snack questionnaire (BSQ) developed by researchers can effectively capture data on consumption of targeted foods as well as more lengthy food records. The questionnaire was developed and validated for use among adolescents to evaluate school nutrition policies and assess consumption of specific foods targeted by these policies. More
This article examines the effects of the new food and beverage standards in a representative sample of 56 California high schools during the first year of implementation. Researchers found that the majority of high schools met the standards for beverages, while none of the schools that sold competitive foods were 100% adherent with the nutrient-based More
In this paper the authors investigate the potential for soft drink taxes to combat the rise in child and adolescent obesity levels through a reduction in consumption. Using state soft drink sales and excise tax information from 1989-2006 and National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) data, researchers find that currently practiced soft drink taxation More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will implement a ground-breaking new policy by October 1, 2009 that adds a cash-value voucher for fruits and vegetables to the food packages provided in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (also known as WIC). This provides a rare opportunity to assess the effect of a More
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) approved calorie labeling for restaurant chains with 15 or more stores nationally as part of the city’s effort to combat obesity. This regulation requires that calories are posted on menu boards; it is intended to increase prominence of calorie information at point-of-purchase to help More
This report summarizes the results of a survey assessing the nutrition and physical activity environments for 2- to 5-year old children in licensed child-care facilities in California, including child-care centers and homes, and state preschool and Head Start program sites. Researchers found that child-care sites that participated in the Child and Adult Care Food Program More
Using the Yale Rudd Center Public Opinion on Obesity Survey, this study examines how individuals’ demographic/health characteristics, political attitudes and beliefs about the causes of obesity affect their support for obesity-reduction policies. Included in the study were seven obesity metaphors; how much respondents’ agreed with or used these metaphors was strongly predictive of whether they More
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