There is no longer doubt that children and teens need protection from food marketing. Research shows that food marketing has a direct and powerful impact on young people's food preferences and eating behaviors, and negatively influences their diet, weight, and health. The food industry almost $1.8 billion...

Over the last 30 years, childhood obesity has increased dramatically, and today, one-third of our children are overweight or obese. As we consider what needs to be done, the first thing that comes to my mind is the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."...

When I was a child, we loved to complain about the school lunch. We said it was too greasy, too salty, didn't have any fresh ingredients and didn't offer any healthy options. As it turned out, lots of people were complaining about school lunch and recently, the federal government had...

There are a lot of great things about cold cereal for breakfast - it's fast, easy, and once your children are old enough to manage pouring milk, they can serve it to themselves while you are in the shower. But there is a downside - trying to get out of...

As a researcher, I know the importance of making sure children eat breakfast. Children who eat breakfast have better nutrition, do better in school and are less likely to be overweight than children who skip the first meal of the day. But as a mother of three, I...

TV for dinner? While it might not be surprising to learn that over a third of families report having the television on when they dine at home, fast-food restaurants are taking hold of this trend by putting televisions in plain view for their diners. McDonald's recently launched its own TV...

On Halloween, I am usually focused on the amount of sugar that my children are going to consume from the candy they acquire during trick or treating. This year, however, our group at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity is releasing a major study that looks at...

According to a study recently published in Pediatrics, Nickelodeon's popular children's TV show, SpongeBob SquarePants, negatively affects preschoolers' skills associated with success in school, including working memory, problem-solving, and ability to focus. In response to the study, representatives from Nickelodeon questioned the validity of the findings; the study...

Coauthored by Kathryn Henderson, Ph.D., Director of School and Community Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University

As researchers and health professionals working with school districts and parents to support the development of healthful eating practices among children, we applaud nationwide efforts to improve...