Examining the nutritional content and youth-focused marketing of fortified drinks to strengthen public policies

The Foundation's program, Healthy Eating Research: Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity, was designed to support investigator-initiated research to identify and assess environmental and policy influences with the greatest potential to improve healthy eating and weight patterns among the nation's children.With the link between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and childhood obesity well established, effective strategies to reduce consumption of these beverages among children are needed. The objective of this research is to determine whether the nutritional content of fortified beverages and fruit drinks warrants their inclusion or exclusion from public policies designed to reduce the marketing and availability of SSBs. The study aims to: (1) describe the risks and/or benefits that fortified beverages and fruit drinks pose to children's health, especially among racial and ethnic minority youth; (2) describe the potential impact of fortified beverages and fruit drinks on childhood obesity; (3) analyze the validity of health and/or nutritional benefit claims made on package labeling; and (4) describe the potential of health claims to influence the support of youth, the general public, and policymakers for including or excluding fortified beverages and fruit drinks in beverage policies. Deliverables include a peer-reviewed paper, two white paper reports, conference presentations, web-based training and resources, policymaker education activities, and a media release.

Grant Details

Amount Awarded $75,000.00

Awarded on: 1/31/2012

Time frame: 2/1/2012 - 7/31/2013

Grant Number: 69819