As more schools institute BMI screening and surveillance systems, their role has become more controversial, prompting growing and detailed discussion of whether or not this is a supportive action.
The "Child Care Sector Assessment: to inform the California Obesity Prevention Plan", written for the California Department of Public Health, assesses the current status of the child care sector to inform revisions to the California Obesity Prevention Plan.
The article "Dietary intakes of urban, high body mass index, African American children: family and child dietary attributes predict child intakes", published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior in 2011, describes the relationship between family and child nutrition attributes related to children's dietary intakes.
The article "Early childhood feeding practices improved after short-term intervention with pediatricians and parents", published in Childhood Obesity in 2011, describes the results of an intervention with pediatricians and parents to improve child feeding.
”Food Preferences of Users of the Emergency Food System”, published in The Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, examines food and beverage preferences of emergency food program (EFP) clients of the Food Bank of Central New York (Food Bank). Findings suggest that food pantry clients prefer to receive meat/poultry/fish, vegetables, and fruit over soda, candy, and snack foods.
Food scientists and nutrition scientists (dietitians and nutrition communicators) are tasked with creating strategies to more closely align the American food supply and the public's diet with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
“Menu Labeling Responsive to Consumer Concerns and Shows Promise for Changing Patron Purchases”, published in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, evaluates a calorie labeling intervention in Kaiser Permanente Hospital cafeterias. Three cafeteria conditions were no labeling; calorie and nutrient labeling on posters only; and posters plus point-of-purchase menu board calorie labeling.
Schools may have an ethical obligation to act in response to the precipitous increase in the incidence of obesity among children. Using a bioethics framework, “The Ethical Basis for Promoting Nutritional Health in Public Schools in the United States” presents a rationale for school programs to improve the nutritional quality of students' diets.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides nutritious food, nutrition education and breastfeeding support to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, and children up to age five.
More than a decade ago, a nutrition paradox was first reported. According to national data, those living in poverty could experience simultaneously high levels of food insecurity (a condition of food insufficiency and undernutrition) and high levels of obesity (a condition of overnutrition).
