December 2017 NewsLetter

December 2017 Rudd Center Newsletter View this email in your browser December 2017 Newsletter Share With A Friend - Sign Up for Our Newsletter Here Rudd Center Recent Publications Preschoolers Still See TV Food Commercials Even Though Companies Promised Not to Direct Their Advertising to Children Under 6   Preschool children ages 2 to 5 continue to view TV ads for foods and beverages daily, revealing a loophole in major food companies' pledges that they will not direct any advertising to children under 6, according to a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. The study, published in the journal Appetite, also showed that the advertisements appeal to children under 6 as much as they appeal to older children (ages 6-11) who companies say they are directing their ads towards. In addition, preschoolers were less likely to have tried the advertised products before seeing the ads, which research has shown makes them more susceptible to the influence of these ads. "Our new research findings demonstrate that preschool-age children frequently view TV food ads and are likely highly influenced by ads that food and beverage companies have pledged to protect them from," said Jennifer Harris, Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center and lead author of the study. Child development experts have concluded that advertising to children under 6 is unfair as they do not have the cognitive ability to distinguish advertising from other types of information and thus cannot counteract its influence. As a result, they recommend that preschool-age children should be protected from advertising in any form.   Rudd Center in the News   HealthDay featured our study showing that children under 6 are still seeing TV ads for foods and beverages in a Dec. 15 article: Think Little Kids Are Safe From Food Ads? Think Again. The piece was picked up by several other health-related media outlets, including Doctors Lounge, MedicineNet and MedlinePlus, which has a potential audience of nine million. UConn Today and the Hearst CT newspapers also carried a piece about our study of TV advertising and young children. The Washington Post featured comments from UConn Rudd Center Director Marlene Schwartz in a Dec. 5 article: Food-makers are taking salt and sugar out of food. But they’re adding fat. Our study showing food swamps are better predictors of obesity rates than food deserts was highlighted in a Dec. 28 article in The Atlantic: Food Swamps Are the New Food Deserts. The recent American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on weight stigma, co-authored by UConn Rudd Center Deputy Director Rebecca Puhl, was the subject of reports by PopSugar, KUSA 9 - NBC TV, in Denver, CO, and WEAU 13 - NBC TV, in Eau Claire, WI. Moneyish, an independent news platform within Dow Jones Media Group, highlighted comments by Dr. Puhl in a Dec. 11 article: Only 15% of hiring managers would consider hiring an overweight woman. Our image gallery featuring non-biased portrayals of individuals with obesity was featured in a Dec. 7 Health News Review article: How to communicate about obesity without promoting stigma. Jennifer Harris, UConn Rudd Center Director of Marketing Initiatives, and Bettina Elias Siegel, who blogs about children and food policy at The Lunch Tray, published an opinion piece based on our FACTS 2017 report - on Medium and The Lunch Tray: Food Marketing: Still Serving Our Kids Unhealthy Options What's Simmering With Our Friends   New book "reveals the hidden mental processes that secretly govern every aspect of our behavior" Before You Know It - The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do, by Dr. John Bargh, explores his research into "how the unconscious guides our actions, goals, and motivations in areas like race relations, parenting, business, consumer behavior and addiction." Bargh was PhD advisor to Jennifer Harris, Rudd Center Director of Marketing Initiatives, and his book cites her dissertation study and our Center: "We showed the power of ads on eating behavior in a study led by Jennifer Harris of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity." He describes two studies in which adults as well as children watched a TV show that was edited to include food ads or not. Both children and adults ate considerably more snacks when there were food ads in the show. "Food ads, then, act like unconscious behavioral suggestions and can influence our eating and other consumption, especially if we are not aware of their power over us," he concludes. Bargh is the James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology at Yale University. The book was published in October.  2017 Voices for Healthy Kids Progress Report Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released Making Each Day Healthier for All Children: 2017 Progress Report. The report highlights progress in the advocacy movement, including policy wins and a behind-the-scenes look at campaigns to increase health equity, improve access to healthy foods and physical activity, and improve the places where families live, learn, work, and play.  Staff Spotlight   Kristen Cooksey-Stowers, Postdoctoral Fellow   Grew up in: Chicago Area of Rudd Center research/work: Improving nutrition and alleviating health inequities in food banks and food pantries, and other healthy food policy projects. Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Equitable and just Favorite healthy snack: Fresh fruit smoothies Favorite place to eat with friends: Potlucks Guilty pleasure: Watching the TV show Scandal Sally Mancini, Director of Advocacy Resources   Grew up in: Philadelphia suburbs Area of Rudd Center research/work: Knowledge broker of Rudd Center research Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Health-promoting Favorite healthy snack: Healthy trail mix Favorite place to eat with friends: Zohara - Mediterranean restaurant in West Hartford, CT Guilty pleasure: Flavored coffee creamer   Rebecca Puhl, Rudd Center Deputy Director, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies   Grew up in: Ontario, Canada Area of Rudd Center research/work: Weight stigma Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Bias-free, respectful Favorite healthy snack: Hummus and carrots Favorite place to eat with friends: Rudd Center monthly potlucks   Marlene Schwartz, Rudd Center Director, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies   Grew up in: Columbia, MD Area of Rudd Center research/work: School wellness policies, school meals, the food banking system/food pantries, and improving nutrition in those Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Make the healthy choice the easy choice; surround kids with healthy, delicious food Favorite healthy snack: Siggi's yogurt Favorite place to eat with friends: G-Zen vegan restaurant in Branford, CT   Rudd Center Legislation Database   Our database includes the latest legislation and policies from the 2017 state legislative and federal congressional sessions. This database tracks state and federal policies related to access to healthy food, breastfeeding, farms and gardens, school nutrition, physical activity, food assistance programs, food marketing to children, menu and package labeling, and weight bias. Check it out here and request to receive our monthly legislation email update here. Resources to Address Weight Bias Improving Obesity Care Continuing Medical Education (CME) Course   Developed by the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, this free, one-hour, online accredited course is for health professionals (clinicians, nurses, social workers and dietitians, and trainees) to improve the quality of care for patients with overweight and obesity, and help reduce weight stigmatization in clinical settings. Click here for CME   News to Chew On Inhabitat.com Changing the price of certain foods could save thousands of lives each year BBC Children 'bombarded by junk food' ads on family shows Politico The big Washington food fight The New York Times Snickers Owner to Invest in Kind, Third-Biggest Maker of Snack Bars The Chronicle of Philanthropy Fight Hunger by Fighting Poverty and Powerlessness The Conversation Developing countries could get sick before they get rich. Policy can help Food Tank Food is Killing More Americans than Anything Else. Why Can't Doctors Stop It? Medical News Today Kids' movies promote poor diet and stigmatize obesity The New York Times A Nasty, Nafta-Related Surprise: Mexico's Soaring Obesity   Copyright © 2017 UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, All rights reserved. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Our mailing address is: UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity One Constitution Plaza Suite 600 Hartford, CT 06103 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

Rudd Center November Newsletter

November 2017 Newsletter

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Rudd Center Recent Publications Food Industry Making Progress to Reduce Ads to Kids, But Most Food Advertising to Children Remains Unhealthy   Children are viewing less food-related advertising, especially on children’s TV and the internet, since the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) industry self-regulatory program was launched in 2007, according to a new study – FACTS 2017 – by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. As part of the voluntary Initiative, major food and beverage companies pledged to shift the mix of foods advertised to children under 12 to encourage healthier dietary choices. Yet children still see 10 to 11 food-related TV ads per day, promoting mostly unhealthy products including fast food, candy, sweet and salty snacks, and sugary drinks. Moreover, the majority of CFBAI companies have not responded to repeated calls from public health experts to further strengthen nutrition standards for products they identify as healthier dietary choices that can be advertised directly to children, expand the Initiative to cover children up to at least 14 years old, and expand the types of media covered by their pledges to include programming that children frequently view as well as all forms of marketing that appeal to children, such as mobile apps with branded games and YouTube videos. The Ways that People Cope with Weight Stigma May Have Important Health Implications   A focus on positive coping strategies could help improve health for those stigmatized because of their weight   Considerable evidence has linked the experience of being teased or bullied because of weight to poor health. Yet few studies have explored how individuals cope with being mistreated because of their weight, or the role that coping responses to weight stigma may play in health outcomes. The findings of a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut show that coping responses to weight stigma help explain why experiencing weight stigma can affect negative or positive health outcomes. Coping with weight stigma by engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors (like exercise or eating healthy foods) was associated with better health, including greater self-esteem, better physical and psychological wellbeing, and less frequent depressive symptoms. Responding to weight stigma with negative emotions and maladaptive eating (such as starving, bingeing or purging) were linked with more depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem and worse physical and emotional health, according to the study. Food Swamps Predict Obesity Rates Better Than Food Deserts   Food deserts or neighborhoods with limited access to affordable, nutritious food have been identified as one possible driver of the nation’s obesity epidemic. However, a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut suggests that living in a food swamp – defined as a neighborhood where fast food and junk food outlets inundate healthy alternatives – is a stronger predictor of high obesity rates.  This new study is the first to compare food swamps to food deserts, and measure their association with obesity rates using national, county-level data. Importantly, the results show that food swamps are distinct from food deserts. This has policy implications for local communities interested in stemming rising obesity and promoting health equity.  “While food deserts are certainly a problem in our country, our results show that food swamps, which capture the balance of unhealthy to healthy food outlets, predict obesity rates more accurately than food deserts,” said Kristen Cooksey-Stowers, a Postdoctoral Fellow with the UConn Rudd Center, and lead author of the study.                                                                                                                     Getty Images

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls For Improved Care, Advocacy to Address Weight Stigma Being teased or bullied about weight is one of the most common reasons that youth are victimized, and these experiences have serious consequences for emotional and physical health. With high rates of overweight and obesity in America’s youth, millions are vulnerable to weight stigma and its harmful effects.  In response to this widespread problem, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued its first policy statement on weight stigma. The academy’s policy, published Nov. 20 in Pediatrics, seeks to raise awareness about the negative effects of weight stigma on youth, and provides clinical practice and advocacy recommendations for health professionals to help reduce weight stigma in the medical setting and the broader community.  “This policy statement is a call to action to encourage pediatric professionals to address weight bias as part of their efforts to improve the quality of life for vulnerable youth and adolescents,” said Rebecca Puhl, an author of the policy statement. Puhl is Deputy Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies.

Rudd Center in the News   The New York Times and Reuters featured the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on weight stigma Nov. 20, with comments by UConn Rudd Center Deputy Director Rebecca Puhl. NBC News distributed an interview with Dr. Puhl about the policy statement with affiliates around the country, including, for example, KSBY (California's Central Coast), WNYT (Albany, NY) and  KOB4 (Albuquerque, NM). The UK's Daily Mail published a piece on the policy statement Nov. 24. Dr. Puhl wrote a commentary piece for Medscape coinciding with the release of the AAP policy statement on weight stigma: Weight Stigma in Kids: The Hurt May Not Go Away (Medscape login needed). Medscape published its own news article Nov. 20 about the new policy statement: New Guidelines Released on Pediatric Obesity and Stigma. Media Post - Marketing Daily highlighted our FACTS 2017 report in a Nov. 7 article: Progress Still Limited On Reducing Kids' Exposure To Ads For Unhealthy Foods. The piece included comments from Rudd Center Director of Marketing Initiatives Jennifer Harris, lead author of the report, recognizing industry actions to reduce advertising to children. “However, limitations in self-regulatory pledges allow companies to continue to advertise unhealthy products to children," Harris said. "Further, increased advertising by companies that do not participate in CFBAI has offset much of the reduction in advertising by CFBAI companies, and children continue to view thousands of TV ads per year for unhealthy food and drinks.” Food Dive featured the findings of the FACTS 2017 report in a Nov. 16 piece:  Report: Industry limited unhealthy food ads targeting kids, but more progress is needed.  UConn Today, HealthDay, and Prensa Hispana de Arizona, a Phoenix-based Spanish-language online newspaper, were among other outlets that carried articles on our new FACTS report.  The study on food swamps by Postdoctoral Fellow Kristen Cooksey-Stowers was highlighted in a Nov. 16 article in Blue Zones: NEWS: Food Swamps Contribute to Obesity More Than Food Deserts. The Boston Globe followed with a Nov. 21 piece that included a Q & A: How 'food swamps' make us fat. UConn Today carried a Nov. 14 piece on the food swamps study: Food Swamps Predict Obesity Rates Better Than Food Deserts. And the study was featured in Health News Digest, Medical Xpress, and Science Blog. Science Blog and UConn Today published an article Nov. 9 on Postdoctoral Fellow Mary Himmelstein's study on coping responses to weight stigma: How People Cope with Weight Stigma Affects Their Health. The Huffington Post carried a Refinery29 article quoting Dr. Puhl on "consistently high levels of public support for legislation that would prohibit weight discrimination in the workplace." The piece was headlined: Weight Discrimination In The Workplace: The Troubling Lack Of Plus-Sized CEOs. A Nov. 2 article in Refinery29 also included comments from Dr. Puhl: No, You Can't Tell If A Person is Healthy Just by Looking At Them. A press release announcing the Nov. 14 launch of the Healthy Food Policy Project's website (featured below) was distributed by dozens of outlets: Healthy Food Policy Project Looks at Policies Across U.S., Showcases Innovative Initiatives.

What's Simmering With Our Friends Healthy Food Policy Project Find Local Laws Promoting Access to Healthy Food   The Healthy Food Policy Project (website launched Nov. 14) identifies and elevates local laws that seek to promote access to healthy food, and also contribute to strong local economies, an improved environment, and health equity, with a focus on socially disadvantaged and marginalized groups. HFPP is a four-year collaboration of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law School, the Public Health Law Center (PHLC) at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. The project is funded by the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Share This Healthy Food Donation List  The holiday season is fast approaching and many food drives are gearing up to support those in need. Consider sharing the Healthy Food Donation List (and letter of support) with members of the school community. Help spread the message about the importance of a healthy food donation. This tool was developed as a joint collaboration between members of the Connecticut Health Improvement Coalition, Chronic Disease Prevention Action Team.

Staff Spotlight

Rebecca Boehm, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Rudd Center and the Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy. Grew up in: Fresno, CA Area of research/work: School interventions, environmental sustainability One word to describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Sustainable Favorite healthy snack: Chips and homemade salsa and guacamole Favorite place to eat with friends: Backyard Guilty pleasure: Following political gossip Sarah Coiro, Communications Intern   Grew up in: Waterford, CT Area of Rudd Center research/work: Communications Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Equitable Favorite healthy snack: Apple with cinnamon Favorite place to eat with friends: Picnic area Guilty pleasure: Dark chocolate

Maria J. Romo-Palafax, Postdoctoral Fellow   Grew up in: Mexico City Area of Rudd Center research/work: Food marketing to parents of young children Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Making the healthy choice the easy choice Favorite healthy snack: Frozen grapes Favorite place to eat with friends: Bartaco, West Hartford, CT Guilty pleasure: Listening to Harry Potter audio books

Rudd Center Legislation Database   Our database includes the latest legislation and policies from the 2017 state legislative and federal congressional sessions. This database tracks state and federal policies related to access to healthy food, breastfeeding, farms and gardens, school nutrition, physical activity, food assistance programs, food marketing to children, menu and package labeling, and weight bias. Check it out here and request to receive our monthly legislation email update here.

News to Chew On Fast Company How Closing Grocery Stores Perpetuate Food Deserts Long After They’re Gone AP Trump Administration Moves Ahead With Obama Menu-Label Law The New York Times She Took On Colombia's Soda Industry. Then She Was Silenced. Philly.com (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Many college students will be homeless, hungry and alone this Thanksgiving/Perspective

Rudd Center October 2017 Newsletter

October 2017 Rudd Center Newsletter View this email in your browser

October 2017 Newsletter

Share With A Friend - Sign Up for Our Newsletter Here Rudd Center Recent Publications   Healthy Lifestyle Messages in Ads for Unhealthy Food and Drinks Are Not the Way to Teach Children About Good Health   Food and beverage companies claim that healthy lifestyle messages, such as promoting physical activity and good eating habits, in advertising to children teaches them about health and nutrition. However, a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, published Oct. 27 in Pediatric Obesity, found that children who viewed TV commercials for unhealthy food and drinks that included healthy lifestyle messages rated the products as more healthful compared to children who saw commercials for similar products with a different message.   "Our results confirming 'health halo' effects from healthy messages in child-directed advertising for unhealthy food and drinks are cause for public health concern," said Jennifer Harris, Director of Marketing Initiatives for the UConn Rudd Center, and lead author of the study. "This common practice likely benefits food companies by making unhealthy products seem healthier to children, but we found no evidence that they teach children about good health or nutrition." Study Shows Self-Directed Weight Stigma is Prevalent in U.S. Adults   Negative stereotypes and biases against people with obesity are widespread and this weight stigma can be harmful for physical and emotional health. Distinct from experiencing weight stigma, many individuals who are targets of bias also internalize the stigma directed towards them, blaming themselves for the stigma and unfair treatment they experience because of their weight. Internalized weight bias has been linked to concerning health consequences, but little is known about the prevalence of this self-directed stigma – until now. A new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, published Oct. 30 in the journal Obesity, shows that internalized weight bias is prevalent among U.S. women and men, with high levels of internalized weight stigma in approximately 1 in 5 adults in the general population and as many as 52 percent of adults with obesity. “Our findings indicate that internalized weight bias is common in the general population, and present among individuals across a range of body weights. Adults with high levels of weight bias internalization are more likely to be white, have a higher body-mass index, lower education and income, and be actively trying to lose weight,” said Rebecca Puhl, Deputy Director of the UConn Rudd Center, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut, and the study’s lead author. “Furthermore, people with high levels of internalization had experienced considerable weight stigma in their lives, especially being teased or treated unfairly by others because of their weight,” Puhl said.   Rudd Center in the News Rudd Center Deputy Director Rebecca Puhl's study showing the prevalence of self-directed weight stigma among U.S. adults was featured in an Oct. 30 article carried by the Hearst Connecticut newspapers: UConn Study: 1 in 5 adults turn weight bias inward. UConn Today carried articles on our study of "health halo" effects of healthy lifestyle messages included in TV ads for unhealthy foods directed at children and on our study showing the prevalence of self-directed weight stigma among U.S. adults:  "Health Halo" Effects of Food Ads Can Mislead Kids Many Americans Blame Themselves for Weight Stigma Connecticut By The Numbers carried an Oct. 2 piece on our study showing Hispanic youth are disproportionately attracted to food and beverage websites: Unhealthy Food Marketing Targets Hispanic Youth, UConn Researchers Find. Co-authored by former Rudd Center Research Associate Maia Hyary, a PhD student at the Heller School at Brandeis University and a former Rudd Center Research Associate, and Marketing Initiatives Director Jennifer Harris, the study was published in the inaugural issue of the journal Health Equity. PR Newswire/US Newswire published a nationally distributed Oct. 3 release that cited our Wellness School Assessment Tool, WellSAT 2.0: Urban School Health and Wellness Leaders Address Issues of Health and Education Equity. The New York Times on Oct 13 redistributed an earlier article on a study on weight bias by Dr. Puhl: Fat Bias Starts Early and Takes a Serious Toll Obesity Care Week 2017   The 3rd Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW), Oct. 29 through Nov. 4, seeks to ignite a national movement to ensure anyone affected by obesity receives respectful and comprehensive care. The UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is proud to join the Campaign, which was founded by The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.   All NOCW supporters recognize the 5 Reasons to Care: Obesity is a serious disease Weight bias is faced by many Healthcare providers need to have positive, helpful conversations about weight with their patients Science-based weight management options are available for treatment We need your help passing the 2017 Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) More information about National Obesity Care Week and the Take 5 Pledge, including information and resources, is available on www.ObesityCareWeek.org.     Staff Spotlight This month we begin a feature to introduce our staff and let you in on some of their personal thoughts on our mission and research - even what they like to eat! Mary Himmelstein, Postdoctoral Fellow Grew up in: Northern Virginia Area of Rudd Center research/work: Weight stigma One way we can all reduce harm from weight bias to individuals with obesity: Examine our own biases and be aware of them; treat everyone with respect regardless of body size; don't assume body size implies other things about a person's health. Favorite healthy snack: Pistachios or lentils Favorite place to eat with friends: Bartaco, West Hartford, CT Guilty pleasure: Watching Outlander; reading bad teen fiction   Margaret Read, Research Associate   Grew up in: Baton Rouge, LA Area of Rudd Center research/work: Schools and food pantries/food banks One word to describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Equitable Favorite healthy snack: Guacamole and plantain chips Favorite place to eat with friends: Momo's Sushi, Milford, CT Guilty pleasure: Watching Real Housewives   Urge FDA Not to Delay Updated Nutrition Facts Label   Act Now! Comment Period Closes Today Resources to Address Weight Bias Improving Obesity Care Continuing Medical Education (CME) Course   Developed by the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, this free, one-hour, online accredited course is for health professionals (clinicians, nurses, social workers and dietitians, and trainees) to improve the quality of care for patients with overweight and obesity, and help reduce weight stigmatization in clinical settings. Click here for CME Rudd Center Legislation Database   Our database includes the latest legislation and policies from the 2017 state legislative and federal congressional sessions. This database tracks state and federal policies related to access to healthy food, breastfeeding, farms and gardens, school nutrition, physical activity, food assistance programs, food marketing to children, menu and package labeling, and weight bias. Check it out here and request to receive our monthly legislation email update here.   News to Chew On Khaleej Times (India) Taxes on sugary drinks are good, but just not enough The Philadelphia Tribune Food and race discussion, dinner serves up healthy ideas for Blacks Los Angeles Times Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. adults are now obese, CDC says Chicago Tribune UK hospitals ban chocolate bars and limit calories HealthDay How Foods Labeled 'Healthy' Can Still Make You Fat Newsday Cereal cafes growing in popularity throughout Europe Colorado Hometown Weekly Lafayette bars restaurants from putting sugary drinks on children's menus Facebook Twitter Website YouTube

Copyright © 2017 UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, All rights reserved. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Our mailing address is: UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity One Constitution Plaza Suite 600 Hartford, CT 06103 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences