Chile’s Law of Food Labeling and Advertising encourages notably healthier choices
August 11, 2021 Chile’s package of healthy food policies successfully decreased purchases of unhealthy food and drinks during the initial implementation phase, according to a new study. Researchers say the significant reductions in calories and nutrients of concern (sugar, sodium and saturated fat) underscore the potential for heathy food policies to significantly affect public health — even in the short-term.
SuperSNAP helps food insecure households afford healthy foods
August 11, 2021 Led by UNC-Chapel Hill researchers, a new study showed that an additional $40 per month for SNAP beneficiaries substantially increased the purchase of healthier food options for people who struggle with food insecurity.
Concern grows over the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in American diets
August 10, 2021 Ultra-processed foods are growing more pervasive in American diets, especially for kids. Drs. Katie Meyer and Lindsey Smith Taillie have co-authored an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association that calls for action to understand the role these foods play in the American food system and develop policies to reduce their consumption.
Improving maternal and child nutrition is a family endeavor
July 16, 2021 Maternal and child nutrition researchers are gaining a clearer picture of the role that fathers, grandparents and other family members play in feeding. To develop a holistic approach that considers this family system, experts at UNC-Chapel Hill, including Dr. Stephanie Martin, have contributed to a special compendium of research that could lead to better nutritional results for caregivers and children.
Review shows minimal evidence that dietary supplements lead to weight loss
June 23, 2021 Although Americans spend billions on them, published research shows a lack of strong evidence that dietary supplements and alternative therapies help adults lose weight.
Metabolic clues could serve as early predictors of pregnancy complications, inform nutritional intervention
June 18, 2021 A team of Gillings School nutrition researchers recently identified certain changes in a person’s metabolism, that, if found early in a pregnancy, can more accurately predict whether a mother may experience pregnancy-related hypertension or preterm birth than other known risk factors.
At inaugural symposium, UNC experts seek to improve research on causes of obesity
June 1, 2021 To understand and improve the science used to develop multi-faceted treatment strategies for obesity, experts at UNC convened the first annual Interdisciplinary Nutrition Sciences Symposium in 2019. They have recently published their findings from this conference in Advances in Nutrition.
Hursting named director of UNC Nutrition Research Institute
June 1, 2021 Dr. Stephen Hursting has been named the next director of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, N.C.
In South Africa, a tax on unhealthy beverages is changing what people drink
May 27, 2021 A UNC-Chapel Hill study of beverage consumption in a South African township shows that a country-wide tax on sugary beverages has worked to influence more healthy personal choices, with individuals reporting a reduction in the amount of sugar they drink.
Expertscape recognizes several Gillings faculty as top-rated in their fields
May 27, 2021 Expertscape, an online database that assesses and ranks the expertise and contributions of physicians and medical institutions worldwide, rated multiple UNC biomedical researchers as top-rated experts in their fields for its 2021 rankings.
