Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity Alerts

Strong Wellness Policies Improve Connecticut School Environments

May 15, 2012 - Strong written school wellness policies lead to better food and more physical activity in schools, according to a study by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Published in the Journal of School Health, the study found that districts with strong and clearly written school wellness policies are more likely to actually implement better nutrition education, higher nutrition standards for school meals and other food at school, and more opportunities for physical activity.

Institute of Medicine Report Aims to Accelerate Progress in Obesity Prevention

May 9, 2012 - The Institute of Medicine recently released a report that outlines strategies for addressing the obesity epidemic. The report, Accelerating Progress on Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation, was released at the Weight of the Nation Conference hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and highlights five key goals for reversing the epidemic.

Rudd Center Featured in HBO Series on Obesity Crisis

April 25, 2012 - Rudd Center researchers will be featured in a multi-part series on HBO that addresses the national obesity epidemic. Kelly Brownell, PhD, Director; Marlene Schwartz, PhD, Deputy Director; Rebecca Puhl, PhD, Director of Research and Weight Stigma Initiatives; and Jennifer Harris, PhD, Director of Marketing Initiatives, will join other notable names in obesity research and prevention to discuss one of the nation’s most pressing health issues and offer practical but far-reaching solutions. The series, The Weight of the Nation, premieres on Monday, May 14 and Tuesday, May 15. Read more.

PepsiCo Imposes an Employee Sin Tax

April 20, 2012 - PepsiCo charges its employees $50 a month if they smoke or have obesity-related medical problems such as diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure as part of a wellness program initiated several years ago.

"Pepsi's policy is highly discriminatory and unfairly singles out people affected by obesity. This is also an unfortunate example of a company making products that can be harmful to health and then blaming the people who are suffering the harm. A parallel would be Philip Morris charging fees to their employees who smoke cigarettes,” says Rebecca Puhl, PhD, Rudd Center Director of Research and Weight Stigma Initiatives.

Poll Shows Voters Support Nutritional Standards for Snack Foods and Beverages Sold in Schools

April 19, 2012 - Eighty percent of American voters favor national school nutrition standards that would make snack foods and beverages in schools healthier, according to a poll commissioned by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project, a joint project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Voters specifically favor standards that would limit calories, fat, and sodium in snack foods and beverages sold in school vending machines, school stores and cafeteria à la carte lines.

The findings come as the U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares to release updated national school nutrition standards that will likely apply to snacks and beverages that can be purchased from vending machines, school stores, and à la carte lines in cafeterias.

Food Marketing to Youth: Current Threats and Opportunities

April 13, 2012 - A range of stakeholders and strategies are needed to reduce the harm caused by child-directed food marketing, according to an editorial published by Rudd Center researchers in the journal Childhood Obesity. The editorial examines local, state, and federal actions to be taken by governments, schools, researchers, parents, the food and beverage industry, media companies, and those who set marketing practices to prevent the harmful consequences of food marketing to children.

The editorial was coauthored by the Rudd Center's Marlene Schwartz, PhD, Deputy Director; and Amy Ustjanauskas, BA, Research Assistant.

Effectiveness of Front-of-Package Food Labeling Systems

April 9, 2012 - The British Multiple Traffic Light (MTL) front-of-package labeling system, in which red, yellow, and green symbols are used to show which foods might be eaten sparingly, in moderation, or freely, has most consistently helped consumers identify healthier products, according to a review article on front-of-package labeling systems published in Public Health Nutrition.

Research Associate Position Open

April 9, 2012 - Research Associate: Design, establish, and conduct original independent studies examining weight bias in the media, the presence of weight bias in school settings and health care, the impact of weight stigma on health, and interventions to reduce weight bias in diverse settings.

Texas Hospital Discriminates Against Overweight Job Applicants

March 27, 2012 - A hospital in Victoria, Texas, has instituted a hiring policy that bans job applicants from employment for being overweight. According to a report in The Texas Tribune, the Citizens Medical Center instituted a policy a little more than a year ago that requires potential employees to have a body mass index of less than 35. The policy states that an employee's physique "should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a healthcare professional," including an appearance "free from distraction" for hospital patients.

"Turning down qualified job applicants because of their body weight is blatant discrimination, and prevents these applicants from making meaningful contributions to their community as competent health care professionals," says Rebecca Puhl, PhD, Rudd Center Director of Research and Weight Stigma Initiatives. "The body weight of health professionals, like the general population, varies considerably. A health professional's body weight is irrelevant in his or her ability to provide appropriate, sensitive, and evidence-based health care to patients."

LA County Health Department Launches Sugar Calculator

March 8, 2012 - The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recently unveiled a sugar calculator to demonstrate the amount of sugar consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages. The core campaign message is "You wouldn't eat this much sugar, why are you drinking it?". The department also began a public transit and billboard education campaign.