Nutrients

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Dr. Viktória Anna Kovács

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Guest Editor

Consultant in WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Office), Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: childhood obesity; school based programs; physical activity; food policies; health systems; health determinants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern, and the dramatic lifestyle change resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions has further worsened the situation. Several factors contribute to childhood obesity, among which the current food environment featuring an increased access to and affordability, availability, and marketing of foods that are high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat plays a central role.

Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced, processed, packed, distributed, purchased, or provided. In the context of obesity prevention, treatment, and management, transforming food systems to deliver healthy alternatives for all would be a powerful driver towards halting the rise of childhood obesity.

This Special Issue aims to provide new insights on:

Food production (including food reformulation), packaging (including portion size and labeling), and trade and marketing (including digital marketing) relating to childhood obesity;
Policies affecting food prices (including food procurement in public places);
Advancements in nutrient profiling for regulations;
The positive or negative role of the food industry;
How to overcome regulatory challenges;
Case studies on transforming the food environment;
Large-scale food programs aiming to promote healthy eating and provide access to affordable, nutritious food;
School- or community-based policies.

Dr. Viktória Anna Kovács
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

childhood obesity
food policy
intervention
fiscal policies
food reformulation
school-based policies

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parent Perceptions and Opinions of Universal Free School Meals in Arizona

by Sarah Martinelli, Emily M. Melnick, Francesco Acciai, Ashley St. Thomas and Punam Ohri-Vachaspati

Nutrients 2024, 16(2), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16020213 - 9 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1211

Abstract

To support families during the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA allowed all US schools to offer meals at no cost regardless of family income, a policy referred to as Universal Free Meals or Healthy School Meals for All (HSM4A). Despite the recognized benefits and popularity of HSM4A during the pandemic, the policy expired in June 2022. The goal of this study was to gather perceptions of parents in Arizona about school meals, the HSM4A program, and the discontinuation of HSM4A. In collaboration with a local anti-hunger group, using an online survey distributed in September and October 2022, we collected data from a diverse sample of over 2000 parents living in Arizona. Parents unequivocally supported HSM4A during the pandemic (97%) and expressed support for continuing to offer HSM4A (95%). High levels of support were seen across all groups in the study, including from individuals who identified as politically conservative. We also analyzed 750 responses to an open-ended question asking respondents to share their thoughts about offering meals to all Arizona students regardless of family income. The majority of emergent themes related to perceived benefits of HSM4A, including reducing financial burden and stress for families. Our findings will be useful for advocates and policy makers considering HSM4A legislation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Policy and Childhood Obesity)

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18 pages, 477 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does Consistency of Food and Nutrition Support Effect Daily Food Consumption among Children Living in Poverty? Recession-Era Implications

by Brittany R. Schuler, Christian E. Vazquez and Daphne C. Hernandez

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010029 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2138

Abstract

Underutilization of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) food safety net programs may compromise child nutritional benefits for families with limited incomes. Using a sample of children surveyed before (2003–2006) and after the Great Recession (2007–2009), we examine whether consistent access to WIC and SNAP during times of increased economic stress moderated the association between poverty level (i.e., income-needs ratio [INR]) and fruits and vegetables (FV) or foods high in saturated fats and added sugars (SFAS). Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study income-eligible mothers/children (≤185% of poverty) with available FV and SFAS data at the 5- (2003–2006) and 9-year (2007–2010) waves (n = 733) were included. Main effects of INR and interaction effects of consistency of WIC, SNAP, and dual WIC and SNAP support from birth through age 5 were examined. INR was associated with decreased FV consumption frequency from age 5 to 9, conditional upon consistency of dual WIC/SNAP enrollment. FV declined when there was low consistency (<1 year) of dual support. FV consumption was stable across INR when combined WIC/SNAP support lasted at least 2 years. Results can inform strategies for optimizing the nutritional impact of WIC and SNAP by focusing on those most at risk for underutilization of multiple benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Policy and Childhood Obesity)

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