The Effect of Soft Drink Availability in Elementary Schools on Consumption

A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association finds that limiting the availability of soft drinks in elementary schools may not significantly affect overall soda consumption by children. The study found that limiting soft drink availability in elementary schools was associated with only a 4 percent reduced likelihood of any consumption in the More

Evaluating the Impact of Competitive Food and Beverage Policies on Body and Weight Patterns Among California Children and Adolescents

Capitalizing on a natural experiment and existing data, this project will investigate the impact of competitive food and beverage policies on child and adolescent weight status. This work specifically includes the evaluation of the impact of competitive food and beverage policies adopted by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) on patterns in BMI and More

Analyzing the Financial Impact of Selling Healthy Versus Unhealthy Foods on a Small Store in a Low-Income Neighborhood

To better understand how to improve healthy food access in low-income neighborhoods, the aim of this study is to examine financial incentives around selling specific types of food. Specifically, this research will: (a) analyze the financial benefits of selling healthy and unhealthy food items from the perspective of a small food store business in a More

Evaluating Nutrition Policies and Practices in U.S. Secondary Schools

This aim of this work is to evaluate disparities in school-level nutrition policies and practices across the U.S. More specifically, the objective of this research is to (a) determine the prevalence of school-level nutrition policies and practices in a large sample of schools across multiple states stratified by school-level socioeconomic status, geographic location, and racial/ethnic More

Examining Higher and Lower Income Household Food Purchasing Behavior and Whether It May Be Responsible for Childhood Obesity

This project will examine the extent to which household food purchasing behavior differs between higher- and lower-income households and whether these differences may be partly responsible for socioeconomic differences in childhood obesity. In addition, investigators will use econometric models of household food purchases to simulate the extent to which pricing policies, such as taxes on More

School Food Environments and Policies in U.S. Public Schools

Based on 2005 data, this study found that 97% of high schools and 82% of middle schools had vending machines, compared with 17% of elementary schools. In addition, 93% of high schools and 92% of middle schools sold food and beverages a la carte, and nearly 80% of these schools offered unhealthy a la carte More

Disparities in the Food Environment Surrounding U.S. Middle and High Schools

Easy availability of snacks, sodas, alcohol, and fast food in the immediate vicinity of a school could easily negate school food policies. Surrounding food outlets could also lower the effectiveness of health education in the classroom by setting a highly visible example that counters educational messages. The most pernicious one is arguably the location of More

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Healthy Corner Store Initiative in Reducing Childhood Obesity

This project will evaluate the efficacy of a community-based, environmental intervention in urban corner stores located near schools. By targeting multiple aspects of the corner store environment (e.g., social, educational, food availability), the goal of this intervention is to decrease the purchase of high calorie snacks and beverages and increase the percentage of healthy snacks More