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The power of policy; what happens when sweetened beverages are taxed & school meals are legislated to be more nutritious?

Image of soda bottles and veggies

A review of two implemented policies—an excise tax of 1.81 cents/ounce on sweetened beverages in Philadelphia, and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010—shows that both policies had a positive impact on health and health behaviors. Authors of the studies include Harvard Pop Center faculty affiliates Sara Bleich and Steven Gortmaker, and former post-doctoral fellow Christina Roberto. Learn more in this EurekaAlert release.

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Prevention may be worth much more than pound of cure to tackle obesity trends

Heavy set woman sitting on a bench

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that utilized state-level data projects that by 2030 almost 50% of U.S. adults will be obese, with some states coming in higher than 50% and no state at a level below 35%. Harvard Pop Center faculty members Steven Gortmaker, PhD, and Sara Bleich, PhD, are among the authors of the study that adds weight to the importance of state-level public…

Continue reading “Prevention may be worth much more than pound of cure to tackle obesity trends”

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If trend continues, more than half of U.S. children will be obese by the time they are 35 years old

The results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by lead author Steven Gortmaker, PhD, reinforce the necessity to implement interventions, policies and programs targeting children that emphasize healthy eating and exercise. Learn  more in this release by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Youths getting too much screen time face increased exposure to obesity-related risk factors

Harvard Pop Center faculty member Steven Gortmaker, PhD, is co-author on a study that has found that teens who spend 5 hours or more per day behind a screen (e.g., tablet, computer, videogame, smartphone, television) face greater exposure to obesity and/or risk factors for obesity such as increased sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, and inadequate physical activity and sleep.

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Tackling child obesity; a call to protect children from lure of sedentary activities & nutrient-poor diet

Harvard Pop Center faculty member and professor of the practice of health sociology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Steven Gortmaker, PhD, is co-author of a study, one of a six-part series devoted to obesity in The Lancet, that calls for policies designed to encourage a nutrient-rich diet and physical activity for children and adolescents.

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Gortmaker Looks for Cost-Effective Solutions to Childhood Obesity

Harvard Pop Center affiliated faculty member Steven Gortmaker, PhD, is principal investigator on CHOICES Project (Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study), a 3-year study that will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of 40 interventions designed to prevent childhood obesity.