AJPM-NOW: March 2018

March 2018

From the Editor-in-Chief

Dear AJPM reader,

March is National Nutrition Month, so what better time to reflect on the importance of what we eat and how our surroundings affect decisions about dietary choice? Much has been written about obesogenic food environments, which are shaped by complex physical and social factors, in our homes and neighborhoods, and in our worksites and schools. Add to that the impact of government nutrition policies, which exert tremendous influence over food availability and cost, and too often we end up fostering food environments that actually increase the risk of obesity and contribute to a worsening of the epidemic.

In our March issue , we focus on the relationships among food environment, nutrition policy, and dietary choice with three excellent articles each addressing important, albeit different, aspects of the issue:

Perceived and Observed Food Environments, Eating Behaviors, and BMI. Alber, JM, Green SH, Glanz K.
Federal Nutrition Program Revisions Impact Low-income Households’ Food Purchases. Ng SW, Hollingsworth BA, Busey EA, Wandell JL, Miles DR, Poti JM.
Sugar-sweetened Beverage and Water Intake in Relation to Diet Quality in U.S. Children. Leung CW, DiMatteo SG, Gosliner WA, Ritchie LD.

We hope you enjoy these articles, and be sure to check out AJPM 's Nutrition Collection .

Yours in prevention and health,

Matthew L. Boulton, MD, MPH

Editor-in-Chief

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

@AJPM_Editor

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NCCOR Theme

To ensure a healthy future for today’s children, the obesity epidemic must be addressed. The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) was formed by leading national funders of childhood obesity research in order to facilitate collaborative research efforts, develop approaches for obesity prevention, and address high-risk communities. This theme explores the formation of the NCCOR, its organization and goals, and lessons learned.

A Collaborative to Advance Solutions-oriented Research for Childhood Obesity

Editor's Choice

The U.S. population has experienced recent declines in mortality, yet health-related quality of life has also declined. The authors of this study found that lower quality of life in older adults is associated with medical disorders whereas substance abuse disorders account for the reported decline in younger and middle-aged adults .