Beyond the Sugary Drinks Debate in SNAP - UConn Rudd Center newsletter
UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity <daniel.p.jones@uconn.edu>
Tue 01-31, 11:26 AMYou
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"To address the dual
problem of food insecurity and poor nutrition, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture has recently revised the nutrition standards for nearly all
of its federal food programs to align with the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. One notable exception is the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP). Policy proposals to restrict SNAP benefits
based on nutrition quality (e.g., excluding sugary drinks) have
generated controversy and have polarized previous research and advocacy
allies. This essay presents many of the issues that have emerged ...The
purpose of this review is to increase mutual understanding and respect
of different perspectives ..."
Study Examines Nutritional Quality
Of Preschoolers' Lunches Packed by Parents
One challenge relating
to children's health is that preschool kids consume inadequate amounts
of key nutrients. Understanding the contents of lunches packed by
parents for their preschool children can help identify areas of
opportunity for developing healthy food preferences at a young age.
Maria J. Romo-Palafox, a UConn Rudd Center Postdoctoral Fellow, was the
lead author on a study (conducted as part of her PhD work) to evaluate
the nutritional quality of lunches packed by parents and consumed by
children attending early care centers. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition,
found that parents of preschool children pack lunches that are low in
calcium, potassium and fiber, and high in sodium, sugar and saturated
fat. These findings can be used to guide improvements through targeted
interventions.
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Rudd Center in the News
Fat shaming - not lack of willpower - is why so many Americans struggle with their weight,
a must-read Jan. 5 article in News.Mic, included references to research
by UConn Rudd Center Deputy Director Rebecca Puhl, Director Marlene
Schwartz, and Postdoctoral Fellow Mary Himmelstein.
ConscienHealth
published a Jan. 24 article that featured the essay Dr. Schwartz wrote
for the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on the debate over
sugary drinks in SNAP. The article notes that she "does a fine job of
explaining the need to move beyond these tortured debates toward
workable solutions."
Dr. Schwartz was interviewed for a Jan. 19 U.S. News & World Report article,
"The Obamas' Other Health Legacy," which described efforts under the
Obama administration to reduce obesity, and asked, "What will happen
under Donald Trump?"
Dr. Schwartz was also quoted in a Connecticut Health I-Team article
(carried by The Hartford Courant and The New Haven Register as well) on a
Mix of Programs Helping Low-Income Families Build Healthy Eating Habits in Connecticut.
Jennifer Harris, UConn Rudd Center Director of Marketing Initiatives,
was interviewed Jan. 26 about marketing unhealthy food and beverages to
children. She was a guest on the PRN radio show iEat Green, hosted by Bhavani Jaroff.
A Jan. 19 Philly.com blog post featured Baby Food FACTS, the recent report by Dr. Harris and her marketing team.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education included
a Jan. 3 article on our recent study showing an increase in TV food and
beverage ads viewed by youth under 18. The study found that black
children and adolescents viewed more unhealthy food ads than white
children and adolescents.
The UConn Rudd Center's 2015 Snack FACTS report was highlighted in a Jan. 9 True Viral News article , TV ads targeting children are causing them to eat more junk food.
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Tufts/UConn RIDGE Center
Announces Request for Proposals
The Tufts/UConn
Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Center
brings together the Friedman School of Nutrition and Policy at Tufts
University and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the
University of Connecticut. The RIDGE Center seeks to support innovative
economic research on domestic nutrition assistance programs and to
broaden a network of researchers applying their expertise to U.S.
Department of Agriculture topics. The center seeks applications from a
diverse community of experienced nutrition assistance researchers,
graduate students, early career scholars, and established researchers
who bring expertise in other research areas. Click here for details on applying.
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What's Simmering With Our Friends
The Launch of a New Partnership:
Allies for Reaching Community Health Equity - ARCHE
ARCHE (Allies for
Reaching Community Health Equity) is a new collaborative partnership
between the Center for Global Policy Solutions and the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation to advance equity-centered strategies that strengthen
families and communities, and build a culture of health. A new ARCHE website offers
online resources. These resources include a Jan. 11 report developed by
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and funded
by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This report, Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity "provides
an unprecedented opportunity to create a national conversation around
the importance of achieving health equity and to showcase your own
work."
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Rudd Center Legislation Database
Our database includes the latest
legislation and policies from the 2017 state and 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. |
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