Does Competitive Food and Beverage Legislation Hurt Meal Participation or Revenues in High Schools?

Using a large representative sample of 56 California high schools, this study examined the influence of comprehensive food and beverage legislation on both school meal participation and revenue. Researchers found that a year after California’s legislation was implemented, participation in the free/reduced lunch program increased significantly, thus increasing total meal participation. There was a slight More

Influence of Competitive Food and Beverage Policies on Children’s Diets and Childhood Obesity. A Research Review

Competitive foods are foods and beverages that compete with school meal programs. They are sold through vending machines, a la carte cafeteria lines, school stores and other venues. Given that the foods and beverages available in schools have a significant impact on children’s diets and their weight, it is important to understand how competitive foods More

Observations of Drinking Water Access in School Food Service Areas Before Implementation of Federal and State School Water Policy, California, 2011

This article discusses the results of a study that examined the provision of water and student water consumption in food service areas (FSA) in a random sample of San Francisco, California Bay Area schools. Barriers to and strategies for implementing federal and state drinking water requirements were also examined. Researchers found that 14 of 24 More

Consumption of Sports Drinks by Children and Adolescents. A Research Review

Children’s and adolescents’ consumption of sports drinks is increasing. Given the already elevated levels of added sugar in the American diet and its detrimental impact on health, the increased consumption of sports drinks among youths in recent years is of growing concern for parents, health professionals, and public health advocates. This research review examines the More

The New Threat of Digital Marketing

This article provides an overview of the growing digital media and marketing landscape, focusing on four developments that are shaping marketing strategies and techniques: 1) the growth of interactive games and increasing sophistication of augmented realities and other immersive features of digital media; 2) the rapid explosion of social media and the emergence of marketing More

Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program is Associated with More Nutritious Foods and Beverages in Child Care

This article discusses the results of a study that compared foods and beverages served to 2- to 5-year-olds by type of child-care site and participation in the federally-funded Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Results from a statewide survey of California child-care providers suggest that CACFP child-care sites in general, and Head Start centers More

Providing Water With Meals is Not a Concern for Young Children: Summary of the Literature & Best Practice Recommendations

Promoting water intake has been proposed in order to displace the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, and new federal and California laws now require water availability in child-care settings. However, some child-care staff have voiced concerns that if young children are provided water with meals, they will fill up on the water and not consume enough More

Healthy Eating in Out-of-School Time: The Promise and the Challenge

This paper discusses the results of a qualitative study which explored childhood obesity and healthy eating concepts among out-of-school time program administrators. Researchers found that while program administrators were concerned about childhood obesity, they identified four main barriers to serving healthy foods: food procurement, budget, staff issues, and facilities. They also found that while having More