Groundbreaking study reveals genetic markers for Type 2 diabetes in East Asians
July 6, 2020 A recent study — the largest of its kind in any non-European population — demonstrates that while different populations of people share similar genetic predispositions for Type 2 diabetes, they also have some genetic variations that can alter their susceptibility to developing the disease.
Diabetes cases show signs of increase in American youth, according to CDC report
May 12, 2020 For years, the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study has been monitoring the increase in diabetes cases in young people across the United States. A new update in that data shows that this increase is continuing in five U.S. locations, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities.
Adults in Mexico are consuming fewer soft drinks three years into a sugary-beverage tax
May 6, 2020 “These results show that the tax is lowering the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks among an adult cohort over the first three-years of the tax implementation,” says Dr. Shu Wen Ng. “In particular, it lowered the proportion of medium and high consumers of the beverages, while increasing the share of adults who were low-consumers and non-consumers.”
‘100% Vitamin C’ marketing claims increase appeal of sugary fruit drinks
March 24, 2020 Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major factor in the obesity epidemic among both children and adults, and fruit-flavored drinks with added sugar are by far the most popular variety of these among children. In a new study, UNC researchers examine how adding vitamin claims, fruit images and health warnings to the labels of fruit drinks affected consumers’ perceptions.
Chilean policies reduce purchases of unhealthy beverages by 24%: the first national evaluation of the impact of a front-of-the-package food label law
February 11, 2020 Chile’s Law of Food Labeling and Advertising, implemented in 2016, was the first national regulation to jointly mandate front-of-package warning labels, restrict child-directed marketing, and ban the sale in schools of all foods and beverages containing added sugars, sodium or saturated fats exceeding set thresholds (also called “high-in” food and beverages).
Twin presence of obesity and undernutrition reflects shifts in global food systems
December 15, 2019 Being undernourished or overweight are no longer separate public health issues.
Regulating TV ads targeted to children could reduce their exposure to junk food
December 11, 2019 Chile has mandated some of the most stringent and comprehensive regulations of food marketing. New research from the Gillings School finds that after initial regulations were put in place in 2016, preschoolers’ exposure to child-targeted advertising of unhealthy foods decreased by 35%.
10 Gillings faculty members named Highly Cited Researchers by Web of Science
December 10, 2019 Ten academics from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health were recently named Highly Cited Researchers, according to the Highly Cited Researchers 2019 list from the Web of Science Group.
New food marketing regulations in Chile are reducing the use of child-targeted packaging
December 4, 2019 As part of a comprehensive effort to reduce obesity, Chile now restricts child-directed marketing for products that exceed certain thresholds for added values of sugars, saturated fats, sodium and/or calories. Child-targeted strategies are still allowed for products that do not exceed these thresholds.
The impact of weight management in kids with Type 1 diabetes can shape adulthood experiences
November 21, 2019 New findings from a research team lead by Dr. Elizabeth Mayer-Davis show that weight management challenges faced by adolescents with type 1 diabetes are compounded in young adulthood and influence the habits young people form as they get older.
