Center for Weight and Health, U.C. Berkeley

Currently available from CWH

Preventing obesity: What should we eat? Authors: Lorrene D. Ritchie, Gail Woodward-Lopez, Dana Gerstein, Dorothy Smith, Pat B. Crawford. To curb the escalating rates of obesity in California and across the nation, it is imperative to identify dietary behaviors that prevent excessive weight gain. Reports in the press are often conflicting and more often confuse than clarify the issue of what people should eat to prevent obesity. The Center recently conducted a comprehensive review of the literature published between 1992 and 2003 on the dietary determinants of obesity in children and adults, and examined secular trend data, mechanistic research, observational studies and prevention trials. We found that the dietary factors related to increased obesity were high intakes of dietary fat, sweetened beverages and restaurant-prepared foods, and the increased likelihood of skipping breakfast. Factors most likely to protect against obesity were the higher consumption of dietary fiber, fruits and vegetables, calcium and dairy products.

Focusing on TV: Obesity Prevention for "Tween-Age" Girls - The period from 10 to 14 years of age (“tweens”) is a critical period for the development of obesity that is likely to last into adulthood. Recent research has shown that a high rate of television (TV) viewing is a critical contributor to weight gain in children of all ages. This brief identifies factors that influence their TV viewing, to better understand the role of TV in their lives, and to develop effective approaches to reduce TV viewing among tween girls.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Drinks - Isn’t Gatorade or Powerade the best drink for after practice? Aren’t sports drinks and juice a lot healthier than soda? If professional athletes are promoting and drinking sports drinks, shouldn’t my kids? Parents, coaches, and physical education instructors often ask about the value of sports drinks. Researchers at the Center for Weight & Health, U.C. Berkeley, answer these and several other frequently asked questions about sports drinks.

Marketing Foods and Beverages: Why Licensed Commercial Characters Should Not Be Used to Sell Healthy Products to Children - Letter to the editor written by Wendi Gosliner and Kristine A. Madsen, MD, MPH, published in PEDIATRICS Vol. 119 No. 6 June 2007, pp. 1255-1256 (doi:10.1542/peds.2007-0724)

Dollars and Sense: The Financial Impact of Selling Healthier School Foods - This brief report examines the financial impact of implementing nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold on school campus outside of the school meal program. It also discusses the challenges encountered and factors contributing to financial success. Concrete recommendations are provided.

Obesity in Latino Communities: Prevention, Principles and Action by the

Latino Coalition for a Healthy California Authors: Gail Woodward Lopez and George R. Flores. Contributors: Alvaro Garza, Fernando Mendoza, Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, Eddy Jara, Anne Sunderland, Rita Nguyen, Joanne Ikeda, Karen Scheuner. Latinos in California are disproportionately affected by obesity and its complications. Addressing the issue among Latinos requires an understanding of not only the biological causes, but also of the culture, values, resources and environments that influence eating and physical activity. This timely document provides guidance and concrete examples of promising approaches for addressing obesity in Latino communities.

Disparities in Obesity: Prevalence, Causes and Solutions, Authors Patricia B. Crawford, May-Choo Wang, Sarah Krathwhol, Lorrene D. Ritchie. Changes in rising obesity rates are significantly greater for ethnic/minority populations than for white populations, making it critical to understand the roots of these recent trends. The solution must be a coordinated multi-level environmental approach.

The Center for Weight and Health is pleased to announce the publication of Obesity: Dietary and Developmental Influences. Authors: Gail Woodward Lopez, Lorrene D. Ritchie, Dana E. Gerstein, Patricia B. Crawford. Available through CRC Press, this book:

- Covers the breadth of research relating dietary factors to adiposity, thereby allowing the reader to more accurately assess a given factor's potential role in preventing obesity

- Presents a comprehensive and in-depth overview of most of the potential dietary determinants of obesity and their interrelationship Supplies a complete picture of the diet most likely to protect against the development of obesity

- Explores the influence of critical development periods and parenting practices on adiposity

- Provides easy access to information on the relationship between specific aspects of dietary intake and adiposity

Position of the American Dietetic Association: Individual-, Family-, School-, and Community-Based Interventions for Pediatric Overweight
A thorough evidence based review of the interventions to prevent and treat childhood overweight, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Texas and Louisiana State for the American Dietetic Assocaiton, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association Jun;106(6):925-45.

"Weighing the risks and benefits of BMI reporting in the school setting" Authors: Pat Crawford, Gail Woodward Lopez, Joanne Ikeda

"A Framework for Understanding Food Insecurity:
An Anti-Hunger Approach

A Food Systems Approach"
Authors: Sujatha Ganapathy Sheila Bliss Duffy, Christy Getz.
Contributors: Diane Metz, Mary Fujii, Helen Ullrich, MS, RD, Kenneth Hecht, Gail Woodward Lopez, Pat Crawford,

"Methods of Calculating Deaths Attributable to Obesity" Authors: Katherine M. Flegal, Barry I. Graubard, David F. Williamson