COVID-19 pandemic illuminates need to tackle obesity
People with obesity who catch COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to the hospital and to die from the disease than those at lower weights, evidence suggests.
Targeted taxes and school lunch policies benefit low-income populations
Taxes on sugary drinks and strengthening nutritional standards for meals and beverages at schools may be effective tools for reducing child obesity.
Close to half of U.S. population projected to have obesity by 2030
About half of the adult U.S. population will have obesity and about a quarter will have severe obesity by 2030.
More than half of U.S. children will have obesity as adults if current trends continue
For immediate release: November 29, 2017 Boston, MA – If current trends in child obesity continue, more than 57% of today’s children in the U.S. will have obesity at age 35, according to a new study from Harvard…
Significant racial, ethnic, income disparities in hydration found among U.S. adults
July 25, 2017 – Nearly a third of U.S. adults are not hydrated enough, and poorer adults as well as Black and Hispanic adults are at higher risk for poor hydration than wealthier and white adults, according to…
Community-wide effort to fight childhood obesity shows promise
For immediate release: June 27, 2017 Key Takeaways: After a two-year comprehensive effort to reduce childhood obesity in two low-income communities in Massachusetts, the prevalence of obesity decreased among some schoolchildren; some students drank less sugar-sweetened beverages and…
Sugary drinks taxes could reduce diabetes, obesity
Taxing soda and other sugary drinks could help cities reduce diabetes and obesity and generate millions of dollars for health programs, according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Researchers created a computer…
Sugary beverage taxes good for public health, reduce health care spending
Prior to a tax on sweetened beverages passing in Philadelphia over the summer, an analysis by the Childhood Obesity Intervention and Cost Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health projected that the move would…
More screen time, more obesity
Americans are spending more time than ever looking at screens, according to a new Nielsen Company report. During the first quarter of 2016, U.S. adults spent an average of 10 hours and 39 minutes each day—an hour more…
Philadelphia moves toward sugary drink tax
Philadelphia could become the first big city in the nation with a tax on sugary beverages, after its City Council voted in favor of a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugary drinks. Advocates for the move say…