The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is joining the university's Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS), a hub for the study of public policy and training of future policy leaders. The Rudd Center, a renowned specialized study center, was recently recognized as one of the most effective US nonprofits working on nutrition policy, according to the group, Philanthropedia. “We are delighted to join ISPS and the community of social science and policy researchers at Yale,” Marlene Schwartz, PhD, Director of the Rudd Center, says. “This move reflects the Rudd Center's commitment to increasing our long-standing collaboration with faculty and students from other departments and schools at Yale.” The ISPS also houses the Center for the Study of American Politics, ISPS Health at Yale, and the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics.
In an effort to curb the nation's rates of overweight and obesity and improve healthy eating habits, the American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) Americans In Motion–Healthy Interventions (AIM-HI) program has updated its Nutrient Deficiency Questionnaire, which has been renamed the Nutrient Shortfall Questionnaire. Funded by a grant from Nature Made®, AIM-HI developed the online tool to assess common nutrient shortfalls among Americans. These shortfalls include potassium, calcium, vitamin D, iron, folate, and vitamin B12. Additionally, AIM-HI developed the tool to prompt family physicians to further assess the overall nutritional health status of their patients and help identify other micronutrients that may be lacking in their diets. The free tool is available as a PDF download in both English and Spanish through the AAFP's website at: www.familydoctor.org/shortfall.
Sarah E. Anderson, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at The Ohio State University College of Public Health (Columbus, OH). Her research focuses on understanding psychosocial influences on children's growth and development, with particular emphasis on childhood obesity prevention. She is a coauthor of the recent study, “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obesity in US males and females, age 8–15 years: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2004.” (Byrd HC, Curtin C, Anderson SE. Pediatr Obes 2013;8:445–453). The study looked at associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity and how they might differ based on gender and medication use. They found that children with ADHD who do not receive medication are as likely or more likely to be obese than children without ADHD.
Michael J. Meaney, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University and the Douglas Hospital Research Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His research focuses on the early environmental regulation of gene expression and brain development. He is a coauthor of a recent study published in Appetite titled “Association between the seven-repeat allele of the dopamine-4 receptor gene (DRD4) and spontaneous food intake in pre-school children.” (Silveira PP, Portella AK, Kennedy JL, et al. 2014;73:15–22). The study found further evidence connecting the 7R allele of DRD4 with eating habits as early as 4 years of age, especially in females. The study was part of the MAVAN (Maternal Adversity Vulnerability & Neurodevelopment) project.
In keeping with their mission of inspiring and helping people worldwide through running, New York Road Runners (NYRR) has expanded its collection of free digital resources. The newly launched physical education (PE) Lesson Plans are designed so that elementary school teachers, even nonrunners, can teach running as a unit in PE and easily instruct students to run properly, safely, and enjoyably. The Lesson Plans were developed by NYRR coaches and refined by a pilot group of PE teachers who spoke to their quality and worth. “NYRR has created an incredible resource that makes teaching the mechanics and skills of running simple and easy,” says Jim DeLine, a 25-year teaching veteran in Austin, Texas. Laura Kaiser, an Ohio PE teacher, adds, “I loved how engaged the students were. Even my students that hate to run had a blast participating in the lessons.” Gary Byrnes, a veteran runner and PE teacher from Newburgh, New York, says, “Teaching running at an early age is essential for students; it sets them up for success.” In addition to the Coaching Videos for grades K–12 and the PE Lesson Plans, NYRR's Running Start resources include Training Plans to organize and structure a variety of practices, 100+ Nutrition Activities to help youngsters in grades K–6 make healthy food choices, and many more high-value teaching aids. “Our goal is to empower schools to help students run for life,” adds Cliff Sperber, Vice President of NYRR Youth and Community Services. For complete information, visit: www.runningstart.nyrr.org.
Claire Griffiths, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity, Exercise and Health at Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds, UK). Her research focuses on improving the prevention and treatment of obesity. She is the lead author of a study published in Public Health, “A five year longitudinal study investigating the prevalence of childhood obesity: Comparison of BMI and waist circumference.” (Griffiths C, Gately P, Marchant PR, et al. 2013;127:1090–1096). The article reported on data from a 5-year study conducted from 2005 to 2010 on a cohort of children. Waist circumference and BMI as well as waist-to-height ratio measurements were carried out over the 5 years. The researchers concluded that children do appear to be getting fatter and the additional fat is being stored centrally, which is not detected by BMI.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) has launched a website that provides the nutritional content of foods sold at the nation's largest restaurant chains. MenuStat.org is a free resource that contains the nutrition data from 66 restaurant chains available for the years 2012 and 2013. Website users can search for data content through various criteria, such as restaurant name, food category, and/or nutrients—calories, total fat, or cholesterol, among others. The website also includes a graphing function and the option to export data to a spreadsheet for analysis. MenuStat was built by the NYC DOHMH, with funding, in part, from the US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC. For more information, visit: www.menustat.org.
Gina Ambrosini, PhD, is a researcher at the MRC Human Nutrition Research Elsie Widdowson Laboratory (Cambridge, UK). Her research looks at dietary patterns in epidemiological studies, with a focus on the use of Reduced Rank Regression statistics. She is the author of an article published in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society titled, “Childhood dietary patterns and later obesity: A review of the evidence.” (Ambrosini GL. 2013 Nov 27:1–10). Dr. Ambrosini reviewed 166 studies related to overall dietary patterns in childhood and later obesity risk. She found that energy-dense, high-fat, and low-fiber foods led to later overweight and obesity, and that analyzing multiple dietary factors within a dietary pattern may be needed for accurate food analysis.
Wendy Slusser, MD, is Medical Director of the Fit for Healthy Weight program at Mattel Children's Hospital, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA; Los Angeles, CA) and Director of the Pediatric Health and Wellness Program at the Venice Family Clinic (Venice, CA). She is the lead author of a study presented at the Southern California Public Health Association Conference in December 2013. The study described a pilot program for youth using telehealth technology. It involved a secure system that allowed patients to speak with their healthcare providers at UCLA by computer from their local health clinic. The study determined that approximately 80% of the participants were satisfied with their telehealth appointment and would do it again. There were 45 patients in the study averaging 10 years of age. The specialists participating were with the UCLA Fit for Healthy Weight clinic.
Brian Wansink, PhD, is the John Dyson Endowed Chair in the Applied Economics and Management Department at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). He directs the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. He is the author of a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics titled, “Larger bowl size increases the amount of cereal children request, consume, and waste.” [Wansink B, Van Ittersum K, Payne CR. 2013 Nov 16. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.09.036. (Epub ahead of print)]. The study involved 69 preschool children who were given a snack of cereal and milk in either an 8- or 16-ounce bowl. The study found that the children with the larger bowl requested almost twice as much cereal than those with the smaller bowl.
Marian S. McDonagh, PharmD, is an Associate Professor in the Oregon Health & Science University's Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology (Portland, OR) and investigator in the Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC). Dr. McDonagh is principal investigator of the EPC Drug Effectiveness Review Project. She is the lead author of a study recently published in JAMA Pediatrics titled, “Systematic review of the benefits and risks of metformin in treating obesity in children aged 18 years and younger.” [McDonagh MS, Selph S, Ozpinar A, et al. 2013 Dec 16. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4200. (Epub ahead of print)]. She and her team reviewed 14 randomized, clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of metformin for treating obesity in children 18 years old and younger who did not have a diagnosis of diabetes. They found that metformin provided a statistically significant, but very modest, reduction in BMI when combined with lifestyle interventions, but questioned the overall effectiveness for treating childhood obesity.
Kiara Lewis, PhD, is Head of the Division of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Huddersfield (Queensgate, Huddersfield, UK). Dr. Lewis' work focuses on physical activity and the influences on adoption, adherence, and dropout from exercise. She is the lead author of a study in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health titled, “‘Is it worth it?’ A qualitative study of the beliefs of overweight and obese physically active children.” [Lewis K, Fraser C, Manby M. 2013. (Epub ahead of print)]. The study drew from a community health and fitness scheme for children ages 5–16 with a BMI at or above the 91st percentile. The aim was to explore the experiences of overweight and obese children who have successfully increased their activity levels. The study found that children increased their feelings of capability to undertake physical activity, especially if there was a range of noncompetitive activities and a nonthreatening atmosphere.
