Examining How Increases in Earned Income Tax Credits, Food Prices and Neighborhood Context Affect Children’s BMI

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

Examining Marketing Approaches to Increasing Sales of Healthy Kids’ Menu Items in Quick-Service Restaurants

Through cooperation between the food service industry and public health, this project aims to improve nutritional quality of kids’ menus in fast food restaurants. This study will examine pooled sales data from 10 Taco Time restaurants showing items sold from the kids’ menu over three exposure periods: a 6-month baseline, a 3-month period following introduction More

Measurement of the Food and Physical Activity Environments: Enhancing Research Relevant to Policy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Weight

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) published proceedings from a November 2007 workshop on “Measures of the Food and Built Environments.” The workshop was co-sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) National Cancer Institute; the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver More

Analyzing the Impact of the New York City Calorie Labeling Regulation

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

Neighborhood Environments: Disparities in Access to Healthy Foods in the U.S.

This comprehensive review examined 54 studies that evaluated neighborhood access to food outlets, the types of foods available in stores and restaurants, dietary information and weight status. The review found that individuals who have better access to supermarkets and limited access to fast-food restaurants tend to have healthier diets and lower rates of obesity. Individuals More

Evaluating the New York City Calorie Labeling Regulation

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene approved a regulation that requires that calorie information be posted on menu boards for restaurant chains with 15 or more stores nationally. This regulation went into effect in 2008. The regulation is intended to increase prominence of calorie information at point-of-purchase to help consumers make More