Health affairs
-
Almost one-third of American children and adolescents are now either overweight or obese. One contributing factor may be the foods and beverages sold outside of the U. ⋯ They are not required to conform to the nutritional standards of the USDA school meal programs. This paper looks at the research into whether these competitive foods may be affecting students' dietary intake or contributing to their risk of obesity.
-
Proposed regulations targeting food marketing to children typically focus on traditional media, such as television, radio, and print ads. However, the widespread use of the Internet has promulgated novel food marketing strategies such as "advergaming," or the use of online games incorporating advertisements. In addition, the advent of so-called neuromarketing research is also allowing advertisers to appeal to the subconscious and emotional effects of food and beverage products, to which children may be particularly vulnerable. Current and future regulatory efforts should address the ubiquitous but often subtle marketing to which children are exposed and should measure success in terms of children's consumption of these products.
-
Amid growing concern about childhood obesity, the United States spends billions of dollars on food assistance: providing meals and subsidizing food purchases. We examine the relationship between food assistance and body mass index (BMI) for young, low-income children, who are a primary target population for federal food programs and for efforts to prevent childhood obesity. Our findings indicate that food assistance may unintentionally contribute to the childhood obesity problem in cities with high food prices. We also find that subsidized meals at school or day care are beneficial for children's weight status, and we argue that expanding access to subsidized meals may be the most effective tool to use in combating obesity in poor children.
-
To address the obesity crisis, public health experts recommend major reductions in the marketing of unhealthy food to youth. However, policies to restrict food marketing are not currently viewed as politically feasible. This paper examines attitudes and knowledge about food marketing and support for restricting unhealthy food marketing [corrected] among one group of constituents: parents. A survey of 807 parents found that those most likely to support food marketing restrictions were also more likely to have negative views of current food practices. [corrected] These findings suggest that increased public education about the harm caused by food marketing may increase public support for policy interventions.
-
For the money spent on health care in the United States, far better quality of care should be expected. The Commonwealth Fund and AcademyHealth have created the State Quality Improvement Institute to assist states in implementing sustainable quality improvement strategies. Lessons have emerged about the role of states in advancing fundamental and systemic changes in the way care is delivered, as well as how providers are organized and compensated. The experiences of states participating in the institute may offer insights for other states seeking to achieve similar goals.