The ubiquity of food in developed nations does not necessarily imply that people will choose healthy options, nor does the scarcity of food in some developing areas imply poor eating habits. RAND research on diet and eating habits investigates economic and social factors behind such concerns as diet choices, nutrition, access to foods, obesity, and weight loss.
COMMENTARY
If we want to make progress on the now-global obesity epidemic, we must challenge the status quo and make unhealthy food the new tobacco, writes Helen Wu.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
A review of menu nutrition information in U.S. sit-down chain restaurants found that 96 percent of main entrées exceeded the daily limits for calories, sodium, fat, and saturated fat recommended by the USDA.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
It's widely assumed that living near fast-food restaurants and convenience stores encourages overconsumption, while supermarkets encourage healthier diets. However, an analysis found no robust link between food environment and consumption in youths, indicating a more complicated relationship than some theories suppose.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Geographic variation in food prices across the US affects youth's consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk; price variation does not seem to affect consumption of fast food or soft drinks, perhaps because consumption is less price sensitive.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This project developed and designed Students for Nutrition and eXercise (SNaX), an intervention aimed at translating school obesity-prevention policies into practice with peer advocacy of healthy eating and school cafeteria changes.
RESEARCH BRIEF
This research brief summarizes a study suggesting that though lack of will power is blamed for failure to maintain a diet, the more likely culprit is automatic responses to cues to eat and the availability of cheap, convenient, high-calorie foods.
RESEARCH BRIEF
This fact sheet summarizes a study examining the variation of the intake of fruits and vegetables for blacks, whites, and Mexican Americans, in addition to the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status and this intake.
RESEARCH BRIEF
With a reported rise in the number of procedures -- and complications -- researchers at the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center examined the effectiveness and risks of weight loss surgery by analyzing nearly 150 published studies.
RESEARCH BRIEF
To assess the effectiveness and safety of prescription weight-loss medications, researchers at the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center analyzed 78 published studies of the most popular diet drugs.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Reducing consumption of salty snacks, candy, cookies may be more effective than exercise in combating obesity
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Community-based participatory research promotes community engagement in improving depression care.
NEWS RELEASE
Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood will be the focus of a RAND Corporation study that will examine how a full-service grocery store can influence the health of residents served by the store.
NEWS RELEASE
Small sales taxes on soft drinks in the range currently in force in some states are insufficient to reduce consumption of soda or curb obesity among children.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Small sales taxes on soft drinks in the range currently in force in some states are insufficient to reduce consumption of soda or curb obesity among children. Such small taxes may reduce consumption in among children at greater risk for obesity, but reducing consumption for all children would require larger taxes.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This paper explores the effects of relative food prices on body weight and body fat over time in China. The authors study a cohort of 15,000 adults from over 200 communities in China, using the longitudinal China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991-2006). The authors find that the price of energy-dense foods has consistent and negative effects on body fat, while such price effects do not always reflect in body weight. These findings suggest…
JOURNAL ARTICLE
There are many contributors to obesity, including excess consumption of discretionary calories (foods high in sugar and fat and low in essential nutrients), lack of fruit/vegetable consumption, and insufficient physical activity.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Summarizes the evidence for the ban on new fast-food chain restaurants in South Los Angeles (LA), including the density of such restaurants in the area and the eating habits of South LA residents, and concludes that the data do not support the ban.
NEWS RELEASE
Restrictions on fast-food chain restaurants in South Los Angeles are not addressing the main differences between neighborhood food environments and are unlikely to improve the diet of residents or reduce obesity.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Restrictions on fast-food chain restaurants in South Los Angeles are not addressing the main differences between neighborhood food environments and are unlikely to improve the diet of residents or reduce obesity.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Reducing Americans' average intake of sodium to the amount recommended by health officials could save the nation as much as $18 billion annually in avoided health care costs and improve the quality of life for millions of people.
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