Easy-to-Read Calorie Information Reduces Teens’ Sugary Drink Purchases
Researchers
from Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health installed signs
in six corner stores in low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods in
Baltimore. The researchers used four randomly posted signs with calorie
information: (1) total calories; (2) number of teaspoons of sugar in a
sugar-sweetened beverage; and (3) number of minutes of running; or (4)
number of miles of walking necessary to burn off the calories in a
sugar-sweetened beverage. They then collected the purchase data of a
sample of black adolescents who appeared to be between the ages of 12
and 18.
Before
the signs were posted, 98 percent of drinks purchased were for sugary
beverages. After, regardless of the type of sign the adolescents saw,
the number dropped to 89 percent. When compared with purchasing
behaviors when there was no signage, the most effective sign was the one
which told shoppers they would have to walk 5 miles to burn off the
drink’s calories.
In addition, the authors assert that the teens continued to make healthier choices weeks after the signs were removed.
This
study adds to the growing evidence suggesting that simply showing
calorie counts on products and menus is not enough to help consumers
make healthier choices, according to the authors.
"People
don’t really understand what it means that a typical soda has 250
calories," says study leader Sara N. Bleich, PhD, an Associate Professor
in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg
School. "If you're going to give people calorie information, there’s
probably a better way to do it. What our research found is that when you
explain calories in an easily understandable way such as how many miles
of walking needed to burn them off, you can encourage behavior change."
Regular Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Soda Accelerates Cellular Aging
Researchers
at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) examined the
mechanisms behind soda’s link to diet-related diseases such as diabetes,
heart disease, and obesity.
They
studied telomeres, the protective units of DNA that cap the ends of
chromosomes in cells. The length of telomeres within white blood cells —
where it can most easily be measured — has previously been associated
with human lifespan, according to the authors. Short telomeres have been
associated with the development of chronic diseases of aging, including
heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.
The researchers then analyzed data from 5,309 adults in the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 through 2002.
They found that people who drank more sugary soda tended to have
shorter telomeres.
Based
on the way telomere length shortens on average with chronological age,
the researchers calculated that daily consumption of a 20-ounce soda was
associated with 4.6 years of additional biological aging.
This effect on telomere length is comparable to the effect of smoking,
or to the effect of regular exercise in the opposite, anti-aging
direction, according to Postdoctoral fellow Cindy Leung, ScD, from the
UCSF Center for Health and Community, and lead author of the study.
The
authors assert that this study adds a new consideration to the list of
links that has tied sugary beverages to diet-related diseases and has
motivated legislators and activists to champion initiatives to tax
sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce consumption and improve public
health.
Soda Industry Recycles Strategies to Block Tax Efforts
The
researchers reviewed newspaper and blog coverage related to the
Telluride tax proposal and compared findings to previous news analyses
of soda tax proposals in Richmond and El Monte, CA.
They found recurring industry strategies such as generating anti-tax
arguments that fuel a community's existing tensions, and expressing
those arguments to the media in a veiled way, so that opposition appears
to come from within the community.
The report shows that in Telluride, the industry focused on the town's
spirit of individualism and used messages that portrayed the tax
proposal as government overreach. In Richmond, the industry crafted its
arguments to exacerbate the city's already-existing racial and class
divisions, portraying the tax as discriminatory to low-income
communities and communities of color. In El Monte, industry spokespeople
evoked fears that the government would mismanage the use of the
revenue.
In
each case, the soda industry relied on front groups to carry its
anti-tax messages, giving the illusion of a grassroots-based opposition.
These
findings have implications for other cities looking to propose a soda
tax. The authors assert that the industry follows patterns, and
encourages advocates to know their opposition and anticipate what they
will say.
The Rudd Center recently co-hosted a tweet chat with BMSG about the analysis, which can be found here.
Companies Disproportionately Target Minority and Low Income Children and Adolescents with Unhealthy Food and Beverage TV Ads
Research
shows that obesity prevalence and related health burdens are greater
among U.S. racial/ethnic minority and low-income populations and that
targeted advertising may contribute to this disparity.
In a recently released policy brief by Bridging the Gap,
researchers used designated market area (DMA) spot television ratings
to assess geographic differences in child and adolescent exposure to
food-related advertisements based on DMA-level racial/ethnic and income
characteristics.
On
average, children’s and adolescents’ exposure to local food and
beverage ads was significantly higher in DMAs that had higher
percentages of black children and adolescents, and significantly lower
in DMAs with higher median incomes.
Of
particular note, the study found that black racial and lower-income
groups had greater exposure to fast-food restaurant ads compared to
full-service restaurant ads. The same groups also had greater exposure
to sugary drink ads compared to non-sugary drink ads, which is
suggestive of targeted marketing of unhealthy products.
The
authors assert that strong nutrition standards for foods and beverages
promoted to both children and adolescents are needed to help reduce
exposure to unhealthy products and increase exposure to healthy ones.
Employment Opportunities at the Rudd Center
The
Rudd Center is recruiting candidates for several new positions, to
begin on January 2, 2015 at the center's new location in Hartford, CT.
These positions include research assistants, a statistician, and a
communications professional. For more information please visit the Rudd Center’s employment page.
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Retail Checkout Aisles Filled with Junk Food
Researchers
at CSPI analyzed checkout aisles at 30 retailers representing 14
different store types in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area,
including supermarkets such as Giant Food, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods,
and Safeway, and non-grocery stores, such as CVS, Dollar Tree, Office
Depot, Old Navy, RadioShack, and Ace Hardware.
They
characterized only eight percent of food items as "healthier," and just
two percent of foods such as nuts and fruit, as actually "healthy."
Their assessment of drinks for sale at standard checkout aisles showed
that less than 20 percent were for water.
CSPI asserts that because of this, checkout aisles are contributing to the obesity epidemic.
"In this age of diabetes and obesity, it's unethical for retailers to
push people to buy and consume extra calories that will harm their
health," said CSPI Senior Nutrition Policy Counsel Jessica Almy. "Food
stores should set nutrition standards for the foods at checkout and
non-food retailers should get out of the junk food business altogether."
Illinois Public Health Institute Releases Tip Sheets to Help Implement Smart Snacks in School
The Illinois Public Health Institute(IPHI)
has released tip sheets to help schools implement the Smart Snacks
regulation while minimizing a financial loss. The strategies come from
eight school districts across the country that improved nutrition
standards for their snack and à la carte food and beverages, known as
"competitive foods," and maintained food service revenue.
The
tip sheets contain hands-on strategies for Food Service Directors,
cafeteria staff, teachers, principals, and families, focused on
marketing, selling, and serving healthier food and beverages to middle
and high school students. The tip sheets are:
On
November 14, 12pm-1:30pm CST, IPHI will host a webinar for schools,
nutritionists, public health professionals, and anyone interested in
these strategies. The webinar will feature presenters from CDC and
participating school districts. Register here.
Request for Proposal, Health Equity Consultant
The
Rudd Center is seeking a health equity consultant to help meet health
equity objectives for a “Voices for Healthy Kids” initiative. The
consultant will work with and advise the Center to plan, develop, and
identify action steps to strengthen and institutionalize its commitment
to health equity in this initiative. This will include national
coalition building and policy advocacy technical assistance activities.
More information on the Request for Proposal can be found here. |
Just Published by the Rudd Center
Strategic Science and Communications can Improve Food Marketing Practices
Prominent
organizations like the Institute of Medicine and the World Health
Organization have warned that food and beverage advertising contributes
to childhood obesity. To address these concerns, food companies have
pledged to advertise only "healthier dietary choices" in child-directed
media. However, many public health advocates question whether the food
industry’s pledges will improve its child-targeted marketing practices
in a meaningful way.
The
analysis is the first of its kind to provide a case study of the
potential for success, as well as the limitations of, a public health
strategy to incentivize food companies to voluntarily improve
child-targeted marketing practices through strategic research and
communications.
Researchers
conducted a series of studies beginning in 2008 to evaluate
child-targeted marketing by cereal companies. One report, called Cereal FACTS,
aimed to understand the extent of cereal marketing to, and its impact
on, children; disseminate these findings to parents, the media, the
public health community, policy-makers, and industry representatives;
and encourage cereal companies to shift child-targeted marketing toward
the more nutritious products in their portfolios. Additional studies
examined the impact of that marketing on children’s eating behaviors.
In 2012, a follow-up analysis of Cereal FACTS demonstrated some
improvements in the nutritional quality and marketing of child-targeted
cereals, although these cereals remained the least healthy products in
company portfolios.
According
to the researchers, cereal companies have implemented more improvements
than most other food and beverage companies, most likely because of
scrutiny from researchers and advocacy groups, and government
initiatives.
The
case study suggests that further improvements in food marketing to
children will require continued pressure from researchers, advocates,
and the government. The authors assert that while the food industry will
likely continue to promise to be part of the childhood obesity
solution, researchers must continue to independently evaluate the
accuracy of companies’ statements by examining the nutritional quality
of products marketed to children and the extent and impact of the
marketing.
The
authors note that while advocates can use the research to mobilize
parents and pressure companies to change, government policies that
protect children from exposure to marketing of unhealthy products may be
necessary to ensure meaningful change.
Anti-Fat Bias of Obesity Specialists in 2001 Versus 2013
 Rudd
Center research shows that individuals perceived as overweight or obese
face widespread anti-fat bias, which leads to prejudice, negative
stereotyping, and discrimination.
According to research previously published in Psychological Review,
this bias may manifest as either explicit or implicit bias. Explicit
bias refers to conscious negative attitudes, often represented by
discrimination and prejudice against a social group. Implicit bias is
defined as negative attitudes that are activated outside of conscious
attention.
Researchers
measured explicit anti-fat bias and conducted the Implicit Association
Test during the 2013 ObesityWeek Conference. The data was compared to
data from a study conducted at a 2001 meeting of this group.
They
found lower levels of implicit anti-fat bias in 2013 compared to 2001,
among obesity researchers, clinicians, and other specialists. However,
they found higher levels of some types of explicit anti-fat bias in 2013
compared to 2001.
Although
explicit anti-fat attitudes appeared to increase from 2001 to 2013,
explicit attitudes are relatively easier to change than implicit ones.
These results suggest that despite widespread anti-fat bias, there is
promise for reducing it and improving research and treatment.
Authors
include A. Janet Tomiyama, University of California, Los Angeles; Laura
E. Finch, University of California, Los Angeles; Angela C. Incollingo
Belsky, University of California, Los Angeles Julia Buss, University of
California, San Francisco; Carrie Finley, The Cooper Institute; Marlene
Schwartz, The Rudd Center; and Jennifer Daubenmi, Osher Center for
Integrative Medicine.
Weight Bias Hinders Obesity Solutions
The
problem of societal bias, stigma, and discrimination toward individuals
with obesity impedes progress toward evidence-based solutions,
according to a commentary by Rebecca Puhl, PhD, Rudd Center’s Deputy
Director, and Theodore Kyle, RPh, MBA, member of the Roundtable on
Obesity Solutions and Advocacy Advisor of The Obesity Society.
"We
must separate the disease of obesity from the people who are affected
and implement solutions for obesity while maintaining respect and
dignity for children and adults with this disease," assert the authors
in an Institute of Medicine Perspectives piece.
Combating
weight bias requires efforts to increase public awareness of weight
stigma and its health impacts, challenge societal stereotypes and
attributions of blame for body weight, combat harmful messages in the
media that promote stigma, disseminate interventions that support and
empower rather than stigmatize or shame persons with obesity, and
implement stigma reduction efforts in settings where weight bias is
prevalent, such as in schools, the workplace, and in health care.
According to Rudd Center research,
weight bias leads to social and economic inequality, as well as adverse
mental and physical health consequences, for individuals with obesity.
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