Childhood obesity is a prevalent problem in the United States. Obesity increases the risk for many diseases. Obese children are likely to become obese adults with additional comorbidities. Studies have reported mixed findings regarding associations between reading nutrition labels and improved dietary behaviors/healthy weight status. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the frequency of children reading nutrition labels is related to frequency of performing 12 dietary behaviors. De-identified baseline data from a previous quasiexperimental pilot study were analyzed. Data were collected from 4th and 5th graders (n = 42) at an after-school program. An adapted paper survey was administered to the children to measure the number of days (0–7) they read nutrition labels and performed 12 dietary behaviors over the preceding week. Due to non-normal distribution of data, non-parametric Spearman rho correlations were conducted to determine relationships between frequency of reading nutrition labels and dietary behaviors. Positive correlations were found between frequency of reading nutrition labels and eating fruit for breakfast; eating vegetables at lunch/dinner; eating whole grain/multigrain bread (p < .05); eating fruit for a snack; eating vegetables for a snack (p < .01). Frequency of reading nutrition labels was inversely related to drinking soda/sugar-sweetened beverages (p < .05). Significant relationships were found between frequency of reading nutrition labels and several dietary behaviors associated with childhood obesity prevention. Findings are promising and support the need for further intervention research to determine potential direct influences of children reading nutrition labels on dietary behaviors.

No description available.

Food producers must provide food packaging with a mandatory nutrition label in conformity with the contemporary food legislation of the Europian Union. There have been several changes of the legislation in last 10 years. Moreover new rules for providing the health and nutrition claims on food packaging have been issued. Main objectives were to unite legislation valid in the European Union and also to protect the rights of customers. This diploma thesis focuses on nutrition and health claims on food packaging. The aim of the thesis is to summarize changes and current state of legislation on nutrition and health claims on food packaging and also to explore patients' awareness of nutrition and health claims. To analyse the theme of the research the quantitative method was used in a form of a questionnaire given to the patients, who are visiting a dietician. There were 83 patients, who participated in research, 80 questionnaires were analysed (3 questionnaires were not filled in properly, therefore they were not included). Most of the respondents think, that information in nutrition labels on food packaging are true and trustworthy. Respondents also read a nutrition label of food, when buying it for the first time. Most of the respondents have sought the information about health and nutrition claims on...

The goal of this study was to investigate visual sources of nutrition information relied upon by young adults, specifically college-aged students between 18-30, as this is an under-represented population within current academic literature. A sample of more than 700 18- to 30-year-old college students were surveyed regarding their use of nutrition-driven information, with specific questions regarding the participants' awareness and use of the Food and Drug Administration's standardized nutrition facts labels, as well as the use of smartphone applications for tracking one's food and beverage consumption on a regular basis. Using structural equation modeling, a statistically significant theoretical model was developed with regards to individuals finding greater long-term satisfaction in their dieting efforts if they tracked their consumption on a regular basis, with even greater significance being found through the aid of smartphone applications for recording consumption. An analysis of the content of three online diet and exercise-driven brands was also conducted to determine the currently optimal social media platform for nutrition information exchange, and to identify the type of diet-driven information that generates the greatest amount of engagement within an online network. Of the social media platforms analyzed, Instagram proved to be the most optimal for nutrition information-exchange, and that humorous and relevant content shared by dieting brands generated the greatest engagement within their online networks. These studies confirmed that formal visual sources of information, specifically the FDA's nutrition fact labels, are not regularly acknowledged nor implemented within this population, but rather informal visual sources of information, such as content shared across social media channels and the use of smartphone applications, are heavily relied upon when dieting within the young adult population. These research implications are relevant and timely to academics, health professionals, and governmental entities, as they support the need for greater educational endeavors towards increasing the public's nutrition and food literacies, as well as provide an improved strategy for individuals who are dieting through a model for increased satisfaction in one's dieting efforts.