The UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity explains the powerful effects of food advertising on Preschoolers, as outlined in a new study.
“If the ads were for healthy foods, that would be an asset to parents, but when the ads are for unhealthy foods, they make parents’ job harder,” a representative from Rudd said.
Read more here about a study that illustrates the effect of advertising on children’s food choices.
As part of research done by UConn’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, studies showed that just 4 of 80 baby and toddler snack foods, (such as cookies, cereal bars, puffs, and fruit snacks), qualified as nutritious choices for young children.
And, 50% of baby snacks and 83% of toddler snacks contained added sugars.
Want to learn more about their research? Click here.
| Free Film Screening and Discussion Documentary: Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 6-8 p.m. Student Union Theater | UConn Storrs Campus Extreme stress endured in childhood—including loss of a parent, abuse, and neglect—is now understood to be among the leading causes of everything from cancer and heart disease to substance abuse and depression. Join us for a free screening of Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope, a powerful documentary revealing the most important public health research findings of a generation. Panel discussion to follow with filmmaker and director, James Redford. Space is limited: please register by Nov. 14. |
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| This event is presented by UConn’s Collaboratory of School and Child Health in concert with the Neag School of Education. Additional sponsors include UConn’s Office of Public Engagement, InCHIP; Achieve Hartford!; and the Clifford Beers Clinic. |
UConn KIDS researcher Marie Coppola investigates how deficits in language early in life may impact other abilities downstream. Her work is featured in UConn magazine. Review it here.
UConn researchers explore Dad’s importance in being involved in mealtime decisions. Read the entire article here.
While advocates work hard to remove unhealthy food choices from schools (where children might spend their lunch money in unhealthy ways) food advertisers repackage “smart snack” foods in a way that mirrors their unhealthy line of products as well.
Read more findings from The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.
UConn’s research on literacy and new methods to support struggling readers has made great strides in improving reading skills according to the multiyear data collected from collaborating schools. Read more here.
In this video, UConn’s distinguished researcher Deb Fein explains how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can assist autistic children’s learning.
“In the classroom we teach kids to eat fruits and vegetables,” Friedman says, “but if they walk out into the hallway and the vending machines are full of candy bars and soda, what’s the message there?” Roberta Friedman, and others at The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, are working hard to build healthy messages for kids. Read more about their work here.
Our distinguished UConn Researcher of autism, Deb Fein, is featured in Connecticut Magazine. Read the article entitled “Solving Autism’s Puzzle” here.