The Child and Adult Care Food Program and young children's health: a systematic review.

CONTEXT: The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal nutrition program that supports young children's nutrition. Its potential impacts on child well-being have not been summarized. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to summarize the evidence for the impact of CACFP on children's diet quality, weight status, food insecurity, and cognitive development. DATA SOURCES: Databases searched included MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, PsycInfo, Dissertations & Theses Global (Proquest), EconLit, NBER, and the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), from database inception to November 12, 2021. Studies were included if the sample drew from child care programs serving children between the ages of 2 years and 18 years and if a comparison group of nonparticipating programs was included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently extracted data on study design, year(s) of data collection, region, sample size, participant demographics, outcomes, and risk of bias. DATA ANALYSIS: Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a narrative synthesis was used. RESULTS: Nineteen articles were reviewed, most of which had been published since 2012. Seventeen used cross-sectional designs. Twelve evaluated foods and beverages served; 4 evaluated dietary intake; 4 evaluated the child care nutrition environment; 2 evaluated food insecurity, 1 evaluated weight status; none evaluated cognitive outcomes. Studies typically found either a small beneficial association with CACFP or no significant association. CONCLUSION: Currently, evidence for an association between CACFP and children's health is inconclusive, though it is slightly suggestive of a benefit for some dietary quality outcomes. More research, with stronger study designs, is needed. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: A protocol for this systematic review was registered with the PROSPERO systematic review protocol registry (PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021254423).

"It's Not the Stereotypical 80s Movie Bullying": A Qualitative Study on the High School Environment, Body Image, and Weight Stigma.

BACKGROUND: Schools are crucial for preventing negative health outcomes in youth and are an ideal setting to address weight stigma and poor body image. The current study sought to examine and describe the nature of weight stigma and body image in adolescents, ascertain aspects of the school environment that affect body image, and identify recommendations for schools. METHODS: We conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with students at 2 high schools in 2020. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive coding and an immersion/crystallization approach. RESULTS: Students did not report weight discrimination or harmful body image messaging from teachers or administrators. Physical education (PE) class and dress codes were 2 instances where covert weight stigma appeared. The most common forms of peer weight stigma reported were weight-based teasing and self-directed appearance critiques. Students recommended that schools eliminate dress codes, diversify PE activities, address body image issues in school, and be cognizant of teasing within friend groups. CONCLUSIONS: Weight stigma presents itself in unique ways in high school settings. Schools can play a role in reducing experiences of weight stigma and negative body image. Weight-related teasing within friend groups was common and may not be captured in traditional assessments of bullying. More nuanced survey instruments may be needed.

The effect of appearance-related media on implicit cognitive responses to food.

The goal of this study was to investigate how exposure to commercials featuring thin or plus-size models affects women's implicit cognitive responses to food. One hundred sixteen college-age women watched a neutral documentary that contained a commercial depicting either a thin woman (n = 39), a plus-size woman (n = 38), or content with no human actors (n = 39). After the documentary, women completed the Flanker task to measure their implicit attention to foods, the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) to measure their implicit evaluation of food, and a measure of state body dissatisfaction. Results revealed those who viewed the commercial of the plus-size model experienced response conflict in the Flanker task on trials in which the healthy food targets were flanked by unhealthy distractor foods, whereas those who viewed the thin model or the neutral commercial did not. The groups did not differ in their implicit liking of the foods in the AMP or their state body dissatisfaction. These results suggest that although briefly viewing appearance-related media may not shift women's state body image or their evaluation of food, they are more easily distracted by unhealthy foods and as a result, may be more motivated to consume unhealthy foods.