Putting Health on the Menu: A Toolkit for Creating Healthy Restaurant Programs

Outlines restaurants' impact on health, regulatory frameworks, and recommendations for creating and implementing a model healthy restaurant program, including setting standards and offering incentives for participating restaurants

Regulating the fast-food landscape: Canadian news media representation of the Healthy Menu Choices Act

With the rapid rise of fast food consumption in Canada, Ontario was the first province to legislate menu labelling requirements via the enactment of the Healthy Menu Choice Act (HMCA). As the news media plays a significant role in policy debates and the agenda for policymakers and the public, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to clarify the manner in which the news media portrayed the strengths and critiques of the Act, and its impact on members of the community, including consumers and stakeholders. Drawing on data from Canadian regional and national news outlets, the major findings highlight that, although the media reported that the HMCA was a positive step forward, this was tempered by critiques concerning the ineffectiveness of using caloric labelling as the sole measure of health, and its predicted low impact on changing consumption patterns on its own. Furthermore, the news media were found to focus accountability for healthier eating choices largely on the individual, with very little consideration of the role of the food industry or the social and structural determinants that affect food choice. A strong conflation of health, weight and calories was apparent, with little acknowledgement of the implications of menu choice for chronic illness. The analysis demonstrates that the complex factors associated with food choice were largely unrecognized by the media, including the limited extent to which social, cultural, political and corporate determinants of unhealthy choices were taken into account as the legislation was developed. Greater recognition of these factors by the media concerning the HMCA may evoke more meaningful and long-term change for health and food choicesYork University Librarie

The Connection Between Maternal Employment and Childhood Obesity: Inspecting the Mechanisms

This paper investigates the channels through which maternal employment affects childhood obesity. We use time diaries and interview responses from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics which combine information on children’s time allocation and mother’s labor force participation. Our empirical strategy involves estimating the effect of children’s activities and meal routines on BMI, estimating the effect of maternal employment on these activities and routines and then combining these two estimates. We find that maternal employment affects child weight through two main mechanisms – supervision and nutrition, however, the particular channels vary by mother’s education.Childhood Obesity, Labor Supply, Time Allocations

Exceptional longevity and potential determinants of successful ageing in a cohort of 39 Labrador retrievers: results of a prospective longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the longevity and causes of mortality in 39 (12 males, 27 females) pedigree adult neutered Labrador retrievers with a median age of 6.5 years at the start of the study and kept under similar housing and management conditions. Body condition score was maintained between two and four on a 5-point scale by varying food allowances quarterly. The impact of change in body weight (BW) and body composition on longevity was analysed using linear mixed models with random slopes and intercepts. RESULTS: On 31 July 2014, 10 years after study start, dogs were classified into three lifespan groups: 13 (33 %) Expected (≥9 to ≤12.9 years), 15 (39 %) Long (≥13 to ≤15.5 years) and 11 (28 %) Exceptional (≥15.6 years) with five still alive. Gender and age at neutering were not associated with longevity (P ≥ 0.06). BW increased similarly for all lifespan groups up to age 9, thereafter, from 9 to 13 years, Exceptional dogs gained and Long-lifespan dogs lost weight (P = 0.007). Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometer scans revealed that absolute fat mass increase was slower to age 13 for Long compared with Expected lifespan dogs (P = 0.003) whilst all groups lost a similar amount of absolute lean mass (P > 0.05). Percent fat increase and percent lean loss were slower, whilst the change in fat:lean was smaller, in both the Exceptional and Long lifespan compared with Expected dogs to age 13 (P ≤ 0.02). Total bone mineral density was significantly lower for Expected compared to Exceptional and Long lifespan dogs (P < 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that life-long maintenance of lean body mass and attenuated accumulation of body fat were key factors in achieving a longer lifespan. The results suggest that a combination of a high quality plane of nutrition with appropriate husbandry and healthcare are important in obtaining a greater than expected proportion of Labrador retrievers living well beyond that of the expected breed lifespan: 89.7 % (95 % CI 74.8-96.7 %) dogs were alive at 12 years of age and 28.2 % (95 % CI 15.6-45.1 %) reaching an exceptional lifespan of ≥15.6 years.The authors wish to thank all the former P&G Research & Development team involved for their assistance in this study since its inception over 10 years ago. The authors also wish to acknowledge the role of P&G for their financial support of this study and Spectrum Brands for supporting the analysis and preparation of this manuscript.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from BioMed Central via http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13028-016-0206-

Interactive Food and Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age

Looks at the practices of food and beverage industry marketers in reaching youth via digital videos, cell phones, interactive games and social networking sites. Recommends imposing governmental regulations on marketing to children and adolescents

The Whalesong

A cool way to spend summer -- Skater's Edge -- Editorial & opinion -- Arnold vs. Atkins -- The biting truth -- Governor's wolf policy out of step -- Alaska winter -- Informed traitor advise -- What will happen to Sammy? -- UAS February events -- Update: New lodge dog -- Campus poll -- UAS says goodbye to Amanda Knerr -- Big Fish: Worthwhile or worthless -- In celebration of Black History Month -- While the sheep is away the monkey can pla

The Connection Between Maternal Employment and Childhood Obesity: Inspecting the Mechanisms

This paper investigates the channels through which maternal employment affects childhood obesity. We use time diaries and interview responses from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics which combine information on children’s time allocation and mother’s labor force participation. Our empirical strategy involves estimating the effect of children’s activities and meal routines on BMI, estimating the effect of maternal employment on these activities and routines and then combining these two estimates. We find that maternal employment affects child weight through two main mechanisms – supervision and nutrition, however, the particular channels vary by mother’s education

Spartan Daily, November 21, 1988

Volume 91, Issue 56https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7782/thumbnail.jp

Obesity, Food Insecurity and the Impact on Perceptions and Behaviors Toward Dietary Nutrition in Low Income Women in Georgia

The purpose of this study was to explore the paradoxical relationship between obesity and food insecurity and the subsequent impact of this relationship on perceptions and behaviors towards diet and nutrition among low-income women in Georgia. Specifically, this study sought to investigate whether factors such as poverty, education, socio-economic status, and participation in food assistance programs influence obesity outcomes among low-income women in Georgia. A sequential exploratory mixed-method research design was conducted for this study. Using qualitative and quantitative measures, the study employed key informant interviews with 16 administrators and staff members from the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program as well as, a survey instrument administered to 119 low-income women between the ages of 18-44 years. Study results suggested lack of nutrition knowledge, lack of transportation, and limited access to grocery stores and supermarkets were reported to be barriers to obtaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle among low-income women that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC programs. Study results suggested that neighborhood food environments affect low-income women’s food choices. WIC and SNAP clients were inclined to shop at local stores that were affordable, offered fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats, and were WIC and SNAP approved. In addition, the following variables were both associated with and influenced obesity: income, food access, food affordability, behaviors, and perceptions. Interestingly, there was no statistically significant association between obesity and food insecurity. Qualitative findings suggested that increasing nutrition education, expanding nutrition regulations across federally-funded nutrition assistance programs, and identifying the barriers to services that exist within these programs may lead to reduced food insecurity and prevent obesity in low-income women