Copyright © 2027 UConn Rudd Center. All rights reserved.
MMAT-02798 © 2027 Lilly USA, LLC. All rights reserved.

Wetzel KE, Himmelstein MS. Women's Relationships With Healthcare and Providers: The Role of Weight Stigma in Healthcare and Weight Bias Internalization. Ann Behav Med. 2024 Nov 16;58(12):789-798.

References:

Boswell RG, White MA. Gender differences in weight bias internalization and eating pathology in overweight adults. Adv Eat Disord Theory Res Pract. 2015;3(3):259–68.

The new "Women's Healthcare" module on the Supportive Obesity Care website. There is a banner that says "Weight stigma can compromise women's healthcare experiences". Additionally, there is a video titled, "Addressing Weight Stigma in Primary Care for Women"

Stigma-related barriers that compromise women’s healthcare experiences can be prevented with patient-centered care, communication, and collaboration.

Learn more about creating a compassionate healthcare environment for all women in our new Supportive Obesity Care module: s.uconn.edu/womenshealth...

‘No Artificial Colors’ May Not Mean What You Think Under New FDA Policy - Consumer Reports A change in the FDA's definition of 'No Artificial Colors' on food labels may create confusion for consumers.

What do labels that claim a product has "no artificial colors" really mean?

The answer is more complicated than you may think.

#FoodPolicy #Health

A banner for a new study in Nutrients. The study, "Understanding Food and Nutrition Insecurity Among College Students: Evidence from a Cross-Campus Study," was co-authored by Kritee Niroula, Summaya Abdul Razak, Jolaade Kalinowski, Loneke T. Blackman Carr, Amy Gorin, and Kristen Cooksey Stowers.

#NewStudy: In a survey of 6,500+ college students, 36% of respondents were food insecure, while 20% were nutritionally insecure.

Rates were significantly higher among students with low income, housing instability, and/or a higher number of dependents. #FoodPolicy

🔗: www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18...

From Dude-Juice to Metabolism Boosts: Energy Drinks Enter Their Feminine Era On a recent week preparing for trial, Ellie didn’t sleep for two nights in a row. The 32-year-old attorney, who lives in Los Angeles, often works between 12 and 20 hours per day. By the time she slams...

Gone are the days when energy drinks were marketed almost exclusively to men with gaming brand deals and extreme sports tie-ins.

Pastel cans, fun flavors, and promises of effortlessly snatched bodies - welcome to the "feminine era" of energy drinks.

#FoodPolicy #Health #News

What is ‘ultraprocessed’ food’? Brazil has an answer Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised the U.S. would have a definition of “ultra-processed foods” by April. Experts have long disagreed about the term, but Brazil might have an answer.

Everybody's talking about ultra-processed foods, but the U.S. hasn't established a federal definition for them yet.

One contender for a definition comes from Brazil, where restrictions on ultra-processed foods are already being incorporated into government regulations.

#FoodPolicy #Health

Promotional graphic for an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, March 25th, from 1-2 PM ET. The event, which is hosted by More Than Food Consulting LLC, is titled "Building a Strong Foundation for Food as Medicine: HER Guidelines Implementation in the Charitable Food Network. The panelists are Maria Gombi-Vaca (Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health) and Sheena Skelton (Three Square Food Bank)

This Wednesday, March 25, More Than Food Consulting is hosting a free webinar for partners in the charitable food system!

Panelists will share how Rudd Center tools can help you implement the HER Guidelines and improve nutrition ranking in your food pantry or food bank.

🔗: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Opinion | A new way of identifying ultra-processed food can clarify food choices Identifying unhealthy food is not as easy as one might think.

When policies addressing ultra-processed foods focus on identifying specific chemicals on ingredient lists, Big Food shifts what additives they use to avoid regulation.

Thus, some experts are proposing a different approach: define what constitutes a "non-ultra-processed" food instead.

#FoodPolicy

180,000 New Yorkers May Lose Food Stamps Under Trump’s Changes

About a third of households in New York City, one of the most expensive cities in the world, currently receive SNAP benefits, representing 1.8 million people.

Starting this month, 10% of them could have their benefits eliminated or reduced under new eligibility rules.

#FoodPolicy #News #Health

Learn more about deceptive marketing tactics like this on our food marketing homepage: uconnruddcenter.org/research/foo...

Bags of new "Simply NKD" Cheetos and Doritos with no artificial dyes or flavors.

They won't turn your fingers orange, but they're still not nutritious.

Don't be fooled by the "healthier" versions of popular snacks that have launched in recent months.

Removing artificial colors and flavors is a step in the right direction, but these are still ultra-processed foods. #FoodPolicy

How the new dietary guidelines could impact school meals Cutting back on ready-to-eat meals won't be easy, and whole milk may make a comeback. One thing that's certain: It'll be a while before the new guidelines trickle down to schools.

While the USDA sets regulations for school meals based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it takes time to draft and implement new rules after new guidelines are released.

Thus, it may be several years before the new Guidelines impact what ends up on school lunch trays. #FoodPolicy

A graphic promoting a new module on the "Supportive Obesity Care" website. The module is titled "Tools for Dietitians," and it contains videos, handouts, and other resources to provide dietetics professionals with strategies to combat weight stigma.

Are you a dietitian looking for strategies to provide compassionate care to patients of diverse body sizes?

Our new "Tools for Dietitians" module contains resources about respectful communication, accessible office environments, explaining pathophysiology, and more: s.uconn.edu/dietitians

Over 70% of tested baby foods are ultraprocessed and full of additives | CNN A majority of tested baby foods are ultraprocessed, packed with potentially harmful additives, sugars and salt, a new study found.

Over 70% of baby foods and drinks sold in the U.S. are ultraprocessed and may contain harmful additives, according to a new study from researchers at @uncchapelhill.bsky.social.

Despite this, these products are often marketed as "healthy" or even "necessary for a child's development." #FoodPolicy

Learn more about misleading advertising tactics on our food marketing homepage: uconnruddcenter.org/research/foo...

Graphic with pictures of new "Pop-Tarts Protein" boxes. The words "High In Protein" are at the top of the graphic. The words "and added sugar, sodium, artificial colors..." are at the bottom.

Could the word "Protein” be any bigger?

They hope you don't turn the box around and see 30 grams of added sugar (over 7 teaspoons!) and Red 40 food dye (on the list to be banned from schools in several states).

#FoodPolicy #Health

References:
Puhl, R. M., Lessard, L. M., Pearl, R. L., Himmelstein, M. S., & Foster, G. D. (2021)

Copyright © 2026 UConn Rudd Center. All rights reserved.
MMAT-00777 © 2026 Lilly USA, LLC. All rights reserved.

Studies show that about one-third of adults with higher weight perceive weight stigma in their interactions with dietitians.

In a new module for Supportive Obesity Care, we explore steps to eliminate weight stigma in dietetics practice and ensure respectful care: s.uconn.edu/dietitians

Twix Is OK but Granola Isn’t as States Deploy New Food Stamp Rules

SNAP "junk food bans" are rolling out to over a third of states this year, affecting more than 14 million participants around the country.

However, each participating state has its own rules about what is considered "unhealthy."

#FoodPolicy #Health #News

Memorial graphic for MyPlate. The words "In Loving Memory" are displayed above a picture of the MyPlate symbol. The dates MyPlate was used (June 2, 2011 - January 7, 2026) are shown below with the words "forever in our hearts."

Rest in peace, MyPlate! 🕊️🤍

In case you missed it, under the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPlate is being replaced by an inverted food pyramid.

We discuss what's behind this change in our full #FoodPolicy analysis of the new DGAs: s.uconn.edu/dgadebrief

#Health #Politics #News

New spotlight on @violetachacon.bsky.social! 💡

Violeta has been a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Rudd Center since 2023, and we are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team. Click the link below to learn more about her #FoodPolicy research!

5 things we want to see in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines CSPI's wish list for the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for added sugars, saturated fat, sweetened beverages, alcohol consumption, low-fat milk, and more.

A new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is expected this month, and @cspinet.org has released a wishlist for what they want to see incorporated.

The Guidelines form the backbone of national nutrition policies and shape what can be served/purchased in many federal programs. #FoodPolicy

2025 Reasonable Consumer Quiz - See how you stack up.

Are you a reasonable consumer?

In many deceptive advertising legal actions, courts have decided what “reasonable consumers” know.

Take @truthinads.bsky.social's 2025 quiz to test your ability to see the truth through #marketing noise from the food industry and beyond:

What to expect from the dietary guidelines revamp next month Why the Trump administration’s revamp of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is likely to spark chaos — and perhaps a new era for nutrition advice.

After multiple delays, an update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is finally expected to come out in early January.

@foodfixco.bsky.social has broken down what we should expect in this revamp and what this could mean for the next era of #FoodPolicy:

Header image of the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health's December 2025 newsletter

Interested in learning about strategies we can employ to reduce the presence of ultra-processed foods in schools?

We discuss this topic (and more!) in our December newsletter: mailchi.mp/uconn/rudd-d...

To receive future editions, subscribe to our #FoodPolicy mailing list: bit.ly/2SZtlxC

Agriculture Department Approves More Soda Bans for Food Stamps

Over a third of all states will soon limit purchases of unhealthy foods and beverages using food stamps.

These restrictions on SNAP purchases will largely take effect next year, reaching more than 14 million participants around the country. #FoodPolicy #News

Opinion | Can We Agree Kids Don’t Need Doritos at School?

This year, 15 states have proposed targeting ultraprocessed foods through school bans or labels.

The catch? Most have very narrowly defined UPFs as food containing certain additives.

This may create confusion and a false sense of progress. #FoodPolicy

Learn more from @lindseytaillie.bsky.social:

San Francisco sues nation's top food manufacturers over ultraprocessed foods The city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against some top food manufacturers on Tuesday, arguing that ultraprocessed food from the likes of Coca-Cola and Nestle are responsible for a health crisis.

On Tuesday, San Francisco filed a lawsuit against some of the nation's top food manufacturers, arguing that ultraprocessed foods are responsible for a public health crisis.

"They took food and made it unrecognizable and harmful to the human body," said City Attorney David Chiu. #FoodPolicy #News