Rudd Sound Bites

One Small Step for the U.S., One Giant Leap for Other Countries

by Amy Ustjanauskas

Recently, I came upon food advertisements on a U.S. website for preschoolers. Two days in a row, there were different ads for food on Disney Preschool: Eggo waffles one day and Kraft Singles the next. I was surprised to see food ads on a site for preschoolers, and seeing this generated my idea for this blog: What the U.S. (in comparison to other countries) is doing to limit unhealthy food advertising to children.

Missed Connections

by Amir Goren

Up until a couple of years ago, I thought of my food purchasing as a simple personal choice, divorced from its role within the greater food system (Singer & Mason, 2006; Pawlick, 2006; Michael Pollan; see podcasts and slides from David Wallinga’s illuminating recent presentation at the Rudd Center on this topic).

Gardening for a Different Kind of Victory

by Jackie Thompson

Michelle Obama, it seems, has quickly become one of the most visible and admired first ladies in recent years, evoking simultaneously the panache of Jackie Kennedy and the spunk of Dolley Madison.  To my delight, Mrs. Obama is now following in the footsteps of yet another revered first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, by championing small household changes that individuals can make in order to bolster their communities and their country.  Specifically, she is setting an example for American households by, just as Roosevelt did, planting a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.

Can Too Healthy Become Unhealthy?

by Andrea Wilson

Picture this: A woman wants to lose some weight, decrease her risk for diabetes and heart disease, and just be healthier. So she makes changes to her diet. She starts by cutting calories here and there, then she switches to mostly organic food, and next stops eating animal products to eliminate cholesterol and increase her fiber intake.

To Remember a Madeleine, First You Must Enjoy It

by Camille Lizarríbar

A great piece on the latest foodie phenomenon, kiddie chefs, brings together some of the current cultural issues that ail us. Regina Schrambling writes on Slate about the sudden proliferation of children as food experts, whether as critics or cooks, and why this devalues our food culture. Her critique begins with the question “Who is the intended audience?“ (clearly adults) and examines this most recent demonstration of the fascination with children and youth that has been a hallmark of American modern culture. No need to value experience or wisdom, because what matters now comes solely from the mouths of babes. That’s what marketers tell children (“you’re so much smarter/cooler/hipper than your parents”), and perversely that’s what they also tell parents (“this child is so much smarter/cooler/hipper than you”).

Stigma Goes All the Way to the Grave

by Rebecca Puhl

I was dismayed to read a recent news story from Britain, where a decision has been made to charge higher fees to bury obese persons after they die because they take up more space in a cemetery. Families of deceased obese individuals will be charged £194 compared to the £129 fee for non-overweight individuals.

No Child’s Health Left Behind

by Erica Kenney

As someone with a past in education and a future in public health, I think a lot about how the goals of education and the goals of public health can be aligned. Lately I’ve been following the conversation about what will happen to the dreaded No Child Left Behind law in the new administration. And it seems like the reauthorization of the law might be a good opportunity to use the law to encourage schools to implement programs that will help with both improving children’s education and their health. This might sound strange, since NCLB has become synonymous with teaching to the test, forcing out subjects like music and physical education, and unfairly punishing schools (and therefore students) that need help. But actually, the law itself had a lot of cool things written into it, like promoting parental involvement in schools—these components just fell by the wayside when the law was actually put into action. It is by no means outlandish to think of the law as an opportunity to make schools better all around.

It’s About Respect…

by Kathy Henderson

I have a two-year-old daughter, and am often out with her while running errands or just meandering in town. She is very friendly and likes to smile and wave at passersby, and at store clerks and coffee shop waiters. The latter not infrequently produces an offer of a cookie or other treat for my daughter. Often, the well-intentioned waiter will say directly to my daughter “Would you like a cookie?” Sometimes, the waiter will be kind enough to ask me first (“Is it okay if she has a cookie?”), but at the same time is holding said cookie in my daughter’s face. As you might imagine, it is extremely difficult at that point to refuse the treat, both in terms of the tears (my daughter’s) that will ensue and the offense to the waiter caused by my refusal, who doesn’t seem satisfied by “I try to limit her sweets” or “I don’t really want her to have a treat at this point in the morning.”