Replacing juice with water, fruits, and vegetables in afterschool programs cuts calories
September 17, 2012 -- One in three U.S. children are overweight or obese, and growing evidence points to the empty calories they consume from sugary beverages as a substantial part of the problem. A new study by Harvard…
YMCA of the USA/HSPH initiative in afterschool programs increases physical activity levels in youth
April 20, 2012 A Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) youth fitness and nutrition initiative conducted with the YMCA of the USA was found to effectively boost physical activity levels and time spent doing moderate and vigorous exercise…
Working healthy snacks into after-school programs
February 22, 2012 Nutritious snacks don’t have to bust budgets, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers conclude in a new study that analyzed the cost of foods served in YMCA after-school programs in four U.S. cities. While…
HSPH papers recognized as some of 2011's most influential public health research
December 8, 2011 -- Congratulations to three HSPH papers, which were recognized in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) list of the Most Influential Research of 2011. The foundation chose 20 articles as finalists, based on both "solid research" and…
HSPH partners with Mass. on childhood obesity prevention in New Bedford, Fitchburg
Pilot programs to fight childhood obesity will be launched in New Bedford and Fitchburg, thanks to a $1.7 million federal grant awarded to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) is a…
City of Boston launches ad campaign to curb drinking of sugary beverages
On September 6, 2011, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced a $1 million federally funded campaign to encourage young people and others to drink fewer sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which health officials have linked to rising obesity rates and…
Lowered "time-price" of food to blame for rising obesity, says HSPH prevention expert
August 30, 2011 HSPH Prof. Steven Gortmaker believes that there is a simple explanation for the globally skyrocketing rates of obesity in recent decades. It is now easy to obtain fast and cheap food at all hours of the day…
Government-led efforts targeting eating habits of children needed to curb worldwide obesity epidemic
Tax on Sugary Drinks, Limits on Marketing to Children Among Cost-effective Strategies For immediate release: Thursday, August 25, 2011, 6:30 PM ET Boston, MA – The global obesity epidemic has been escalating for three to four decades, yet…
Report finds dramatic increases in US obesity rates; HSPH nutrition expert blames supersized portions, easy access to empty calories
HSPH Prof. Steven Gortmaker spoke to Bloomberg News about a new report on skyrocketing obesity rates in the United States. According to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011, a report from Trust for America's…