News
For a healthier world, target ultra-processed foods
April 15, 2021Researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Global Food Research Program (GFRP) have spent years evaluating the role that food plays in health, obesity and disease, as well as the public health policies that can moderate the negative impacts of unhealthy food and beverages on quality of life around the world. In a new paper, published April 15,…
South African beverage tax has reduced purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages
April 8, 2021A new study shows that South Africa’s 2018 tax on sugary beverages led to a reduction in purchases of the beverages, which could mean purchasers are consuming less excess sugar and calories. Shu Wen Ng, PhD, Associate Professor and Distinguished Scholar in Public Health Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, is…
Carolina Population Center receives $38.2 million to study adult health and aging
March 1, 2021The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolina Population Center has received two grants, providing an expected $38.2 million over 5 years, that together will fund Wave VI of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Now entering its 28th year of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, Add Health…
Study shows Latino families more likely to have purchased toddler milk
February 25, 2021Though multiple national health organizations recommend against giving toddler milk – a nutrient-fortified drink for children ages 12 months to 3 years that often contains added sugars – to young children, a new study suggests Latino families may be at particularly high risk for purchasing the product. The study from authors at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings…
Building Resilience for Storm-Battered N.C.
February 24, 2021The record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season included 30 storms, and while North Carolina managed to dodge the 12 hurricanes that made landfall, that won’t always be the case in the future. A team of interdisciplinary researchers at UNC is combining their expertise in areas like human health, ecology, and urban planning to create a long-term…
Unhealthy food advertising disproportionately targets children in Colombia
February 24, 2021February 23, 2021 By Courtney Mitchell Children in Colombia are exposed to a disproportionate amount of television advertisements that market unhealthy foods and beverages, a practice which puts them at greater risk for obesity-related health issues as adults. Researchers affiliated with the Global Food Research Program at UNC-Chapel Hill published the results of their new…
Study finds no negative economic impact from Chilean food labeling and advertising law
January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 By Courtney Mitchell New research from the Global Food Research Program at UNC-Chapel Hill finds that the food and beverage sector in Chile did not face significant job losses or wage decreases 18 months after implementation of its food labeling and advertising law. These findings counter common food and beverage industry claims…
UNC Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Extreme Weather Events with Interdisciplinary Approach
November 2, 2020This piece was originally published on November 2, 2020 by Alyssa LaFaro for UNC Research. There’s still one month left of the 2020 hurricane season, and meteorologists are well into the Greek alphabet, with Hurricane Zeta making landfall as a Category 1 storm on October 26 in the Yucatán Peninsula north of Tulum, Mexico. Zeta…
Obesity linked with higher risk for COVID-19 complications
September 1, 2020A review of COVID-19 studies reveals a troubling connection between two health crises: coronavirus and obesity. From COVID-19 risk to recovery, the odds are stacked against those with obesity, and a new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and carried out in collaboration with the Saudi Health Council and the…
FAQ: Changes in the amount of nutrient of packaged foods and beverages after the initial implementation of the Chilean Law of Food Labelling and Advertising
July 28, 2020Read related news article. FAQs for “Changes in the amount of nutrient of packaged foods and beverages after the initial implementation of the Chilean Law of Food Labelling and Advertising: a nonexperimental prospective study,” which was published in PLOS Medicine July 28, 2020. Who are the UNC authors of this study? UNC Gillings School of…