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Background Child temperament styles characterized by increased emotionality or pleasure seeking may increase risk for less healthful eating patterns, while strong executive control (EC) may be protective. The interaction of these characteristics with longitudinal outcomes has not yet been examined. Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the association of preschool temperament and EC, as well as their interaction with adolescent eating. Methods Preschoolers (N = 313) were recruited into a longitudinal study, with behavioral measurement of EC at age 5.25 years, temperament assessed multiple times across preschool, and eating outcomes assessed in adolescence (mean age = 15.34 years). Results Separate latent moderated structural equation models demonstrated that weaker EC was associated with eating less healthful foods, including high sugar foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and convenience foods (p <.05). In the moderation models, negative affectivity temperament was correlated with eating less healthful foods, high sugar foods, and SSBs (p <.05). Children lower in surgency/extraversion temperament were more likely to drink SSBs. There was an interaction between temperament and EC, such that children high in negative affectivity with weaker EC were particularly more likely to consume less healthful foods, high sugar foods, and SSBs (p <.05). There was no interaction of surgency with EC and food consumption. Conclusions Child characteristics measured early in development were associated with later adolescent eating behaviors. Adequate EC could be necessary to counteract the drive toward eating associated with temperaments high in negative affectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article profiles a research initiative of state health agency-initiated 5 A Day school-based interventions. Four of the seven projects reviewed had significant results, with an average effect size of 0.4 servings of vegetables and fruit. Results are comparable with the larger-scale, well-controlled, and more costly 5 A Day For Better Health efficacy trials. These comparable findings underscore the value of assessing effectiveness of interventions in real-world settings to potentially enable wide-scale implementation of tested strategies. These small effectiveness trials show that school-based interventions are feasible to implement using current and effective strategies, and may facilitate translation of health promotion research to practice. The projects fostered valuable research/practice partnerships at the community level. Limitations across studies included heterogeneity in research methods, participant attrition, and variability in reporting data. Further research is needed to develop standardized, cost-effective dietary assessment methodology for viable dissemination research in community settings. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:252-256.

A program is presented on weight management among African-American teenage girls, focusing on self perception and social cognitive theory. Components include nutrition education, weekly sessions with weight and health experts, physical activities and cooking classes.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the validity and reliability of a modified qualitative dietary fat index questionnaire (QFQ) in an adolescent minority population. The QFQ was administered to study participants twice [...]

ABSTRACT There is essentially no ideal method of dietary assessment. Physiologic methods (ie, doubly labeled water) probably come closest, but high cost, participant burden, and limited information limit their use. [...]

Traditional methods for assessing dietary behavior such as 24-hour dietary recalls, diet records, and food frequency questionnaires may not measure what we want to know about dietary behaviors of a [...]

Interventions that cultivate sustainable food systems to promote health, prevent obesity, and improve food security have the potential for many large-scale and long-lasting benefits including improvements in social, environmental, health, and economic outcomes. We briefly summarize findings from previous research examining associations between obesity and food insecurity and discuss the need for greater synergy between food insecurity initiatives and national obesity prevention public health goals in the United States. The common ground between these two nutrition-related public health issues is explored, and the transformation needed in research and advocacy communities around the shared goal of improving population health through individual, environmental, and policy level changes to promote healthy sustainable food systems is discussed. We propose an ecological framework to simultaneously consider food insecurity and obesity that identifies levers for change to promote sustainable food systems to improve food security and prevent obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health information correlates of fruit and vegetable intake and of knowledge of the fruit and vegetable recommendations were examined using bivariate and multivariate regressions with data from the 2007-2008 U.S. National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey in the United States and in Puerto Rico. Residents from Puerto Rico had the lowest reported fruit and vegetable intake and the lowest knowledge of the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables to maintain good health, compared with U.S. Hispanics, non-Hispanic Whites, and Blacks. Sixty-seven percent of Puerto Rican residents and 62% of U.S. Hispanics reported never seeking information on health or medical topics. In multivariate analysis, those who never sought information on health or medical topics reported significantly lower fruit and vegetable intake (coefficient = -0.24; 95% CI [-0.38, -0.09]), and were less likely to know the fruit and vegetable recommendations (OR = 0.32; 95% CI [0.20, 0.52]), compared with those who obtained information from their health care providers. Health promotion initiatives in the United States and Puerto Rico have invested in mass media campaigns to increase consumption of and knowledge about fruit and vegetables, but populations with the lowest intake are less likely to seek information. Strategies must be multipronged to address institutional, economic, and behavioral constraints of populations who do not seek out health information from any sources.

Background: Nutrition interventions targeted to individuals are unlikely to significantly shift US dietary patterns as a whole. Environmental and policy interventions are more promising for shifting these patterns. We review interventions that influenced the environment through food availability, access, pricing, or information at the point-of-purchase in worksites, universities, grocery stores, and restaurants., Methods: Thirty-eight nutrition environmental intervention studies in adult populations, published between 1970 and June 2003, were reviewed and evaluated on quality of intervention design, methods, and description (e.g., sample size, randomization). No policy interventions that met inclusion criteria were found., Results: Many interventions were not thoroughly evaluated or lacked important evaluation information. Direct comparison of studies across settings was not possible, but available data suggest that worksite and university interventions have the most potential for success. Interventions in grocery stores appear to be the least effective. The dual concerns of health and taste of foods promoted were rarely considered. Sustainability of environmental change was never addressed., Conclusions: Interventions in "limited access" sites (i.e., where few other choices were available) had the greatest effect on food choices. Research is needed using consistent methods, better assessment tools, and longer durations; targeting diverse populations; and examining sustainability. Future interventions should influence access and availability, policies, and macroenvironments.

Americans' consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased slightly over the last 10 years, but most people still do not meet the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to consume 5 to 9 servings per day. New and innovative strategies are needed if we are to significantly increase the mean population intake of fruits and vegetables. To help formulate such strategies as well as to evaluate evidence and identify research gaps, the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened the Fruit and Vegetable Environment, Policy, and Pricing Workshop, which brought together experts in how environmental change, policy, and pricing affect fruit and vegetable consumption. The papers in this supplement consist of a review of environmental interventions to improve nutrition and papers covering pricing and consumer value and how fruit and vegetable consumption can be promoted at worksites, restaurants, grocery stores and other community settings, and schools. Conclusions from the workshop were that existing intervention strategies need to be evaluated, promising example programs need to be disseminated, and new innovative interventions and programs need to be created and evaluated.