Entries by Coalition Team

Obesity studies highlight severe COVID outcomes, even in young adults

Center for Infectious Disease Research Policy (University of Michigan)  Two new, large studies from England and Mexico provide new details on obesity as a risk factor for poor COVID-19–related outcomes, including death. The study out of England published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, examined data for nearly 7 million English patients 20 years and […]

Ultra-processed foods and type-2 diabetes risk in the sun project: A prospective cohort study

Science Direct The study assessed 20,060 participants (61.5% women) from the SUN project (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) followed-up every two years. Food and drink consumption were evaluated through a validated 136-item food frequency questionnaire and grouped according to their degree of processing by the NOVA classification. The study found that a higher intake of ultra-processed […]

MPP Gélinas junk food bill would remove tasty treats from cash checkout areas

Toronto Star  Ontario Nickel Belt New Democrat MPP and official opposition health critic France Gélinas has introduced a bill at Queen’s Park to remove the tempting racks of junk food and other treats with high fat, high sugar and high sodium content that are often located near cash register checkouts. A news release from Gélinas’ […]

‘Striking’ Increase in Childhood Obesity During Pandemic

WebMD  Obesity rates among children jumped substantially in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online in Pediatrics. Experts worry the excess weight will be a continuing problem for these children. The study looked at a large pediatric primary care network and found the number of patients with obesity increased […]

Jamie Oliver calls on the government to stick by plan to ban online junk food ads

iNews .co.uk The TV chef is urging the government to “put health first” and not be “weakened by vested interests”. Jamie Oliver and more than 90 health figures are urging the government to push ahead with proposals to ban all online adverts for foods high in sugar, fat, and salt. Campaigners want the government “to […]

A quick, cost-free way for the federal government to save lives

Doug Roth, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation penned an op-ed that appeared in several papers across Canada. “The packaged food industry has been thriving during the pandemic as we eat more comfort foods, snacks and find pleasure in the little things. Unfortunately, identifying healthy choices and comparing products in the grocery store is […]

Taxing sugar is good for all

Cosmos  A study out of the University of Cambridge found that, a year after the introduction of a sugar tax in the UK, people were still purchasing the same amount of soft drink but consuming 10% less sugar. The results are described in a paper published in The BMJ. The UK introduced the Soft Drinks […]

Are Junk Food Companies Using TikTok Influencers to Target Kids?

Civil Eats “There is a significant body of research showing that children are more vulnerable to advertising when it is integrated into content. The fact that children who spend hours a day on YouTube and TikTok feel like they have relationships with influencers makes these junk food pitches even more powerful,” said Josh Golin, executive […]