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Nutrition

News Release

Strengthening School Lunch Nutritional Standards May Help Improve Obesity Outlook for Low-Income Children

Regulations that strengthened the nutritional requirements for school lunches were associated with a decline in signs of obesity among school children in kindergarten through 5th grade who participated in free or reduced-price lunch programs.

May 5, 2022
Report

Impacts of Marine Corps Body Composition and Military Appearance Program (BCMAP) Standards on Individual Outcomes and Talent Management

Researchers examine how the U.S. Marine Corps' Body Composition and Military Appearance Program and its associated policies drive individual behavior -- namely those related to disordered eating -- of marines and specifically of women and people of color.

Mar 28, 2022
Commentary

Inequitable Marine Corps Body Composition Policies and Their Effect on Health

The Marine Corps Body Composition and Military Appearance Program is potentially harming Marines. The Marine Corps should consider pausing the policy while it further examines its effects on individual health and considers developing a new health-focused policy that includes requirements designed to reflect the diversity of the force.

Mar 25, 2022
Journal Article

Bittersweet: How Prices of Sugar-Rich Foods Contribute to the Diet-Related Disease Epidemic in Mexico

I provide new evidence on how price changes of nutritionally similar foods, such as those rich in sugar or fats, change obesity and diet-related diseases in the context of Mexico between 1996–2010.

Jan 13, 2022
Commentary

Why Are U.S. Veterans at Heightened Risk of Food Insecurity?

U.S. veterans are at great risk of food insecurity, but there is limited understanding of exactly how many veterans lack resources to attain adequate and nutritious food and why. If resources are to be directed more effectively, the United States needs better clarity into the magnitude of the problem.

Nov 24, 2021
Journal Article

Provision of School Meals Across the EU: An Overview of Rationales, Evidence, Facilitators and Barriers

This research for EPIC examines the available evidence behind the provision of free or subsidised meals to children via schools across the EU. It includes an overview of rationales, evidence, facilitators and barriers in their provision.

Oct 1, 2021
Journal Article

Longitudinal Associations Between Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Use, Eating Behavior, Perceived Stress, and Self-Rated Health in a Cohort of Low-Income Black Adults

We found significant longitudinal associations between smoking behavior and eating behavior, perceived stress, and self-rated health. This has implications for the development of behavior change programs and community-level interventions and policies.

Aug 27, 2021
Commentary

The Biden Administration's Chance to Improve SNAP and Nutrition Support

If policymakers were to make permanent the relaxed rules forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be a start to increased racial equity in SNAP. Given broad public support for SNAP, making benefits easier to access, particularly for those already eligible, could be a bipartisan priority.

May 19, 2021
Journal Article

SNAP Participants and High Levels of Food Insecurity in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

We examined how people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly Black participants, and participants residing in food deserts.

Apr 2, 2021
Journal Article

Food Insecurity Is Associated with Objectively Measured Sleep Problems

Food Insecurity (FI) can be a profound source of stress, which may increase the risk for sleep disturbance. This is the first study to examine the association between FI and objectively and subjectively measured sleep.

Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article

School Food and Beverage Availability and Children's Diet, Purchasing, and Obesity: Evidence From a Natural Experiment

We examined whether the number of competitive food and beverage items available for purchase in school, overall and by type (unhealthy, healthy, neutral), was associated with in-school food purchases, dietary behaviors, and body mass index outcomes.

Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article

Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.

Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article

Improvements in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Conditions May Improve Resident Diet

Investing in neighborhoods may support resident diet through improvements in neighborhood commercial environments for renters, but mechanisms appear to differ for homeowners.

Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article

Food Insecurity, Participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Degree to Which Patients Anticipate Help from Clinics to Find Food in Los Angeles County

Healthcare clinics are uniquely positioned to screen for food insecurity and refer patients to food resources. This is an exploratory analysis informing low-income clinics' efforts to intervene on food insecurity in their patient population.

Nov 25, 2020
Journal Article

Perceptions and Determinants of Healthy Eating for People with HIV in the Dominican Republic Who Experience Food Insecurity

PLHIV who experience food insecurity face various barriers to engaging in healthy dietary behaviours. Their diets are influenced at multiple levels of influence ranging from individual to structural, requiring multi-level interventions that can address these factors concurrently.

Oct 7, 2020
Journal Article

SNAP Participants Improved Food Security And Diet After A Full-Service Supermarket Opened In An Urban Food Desert

This study explored two federal programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Food Financing Initiative. The results suggest that HFFI amplifies SNAP participation on improving food security and diet for low-income Americans.

Sep 24, 2020
Tool

How Would a Better Diet Affect Health and Economic Outcomes in the United States?

An online tool shows the effect that improving diet quality in the United States could have on health and economic outcomes, such as the prevalence of diet-related illness, health care spending, and labor force participation, over a 30-year period.

Sep 21, 2020
Blog

L.A.'s High Unemployment, RAND's New Research Center, Twitter: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on unemployment in the Los Angeles area, the new RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy, food consumption in the UK, and more.

Aug 14, 2020
Commentary

We Are What We Eat: Understanding Food Consumption for Healthier and More Sustainable Diets

Despite a rise in ethical and sustainable eating, most people still make their food choices based on price, convenience, and taste. What policies can help support more healthy decisionmaking?

Aug 12, 2020
Report

Food consumption in the UK: Trends, attitudes and drivers

To help inform policy and research around food consumption, RAND Europe conducted a rapid evidence assessment on food consumption trends, drivers and interventions in the UK, and identified four key priority areas for consideration by policymakers.

Aug 11, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Nutrition

Research conducted by

RAND Health Care