易胜博官网

The Guiding Stars nutritional rating system that educates consumers about healthy food options had positive effect raising awareness of healthy food choices available at the University of 易胜博官网, according to new research funded by the听.

鈥淥ur work looked to examine the impact of听听鈥� a simplified nutrition rating system 鈥� on customers鈥� perceptions of the availability of healthy food options. We surveyed customers before and after the addition of Guiding Stars in two dining venues: food court and caf茅-style,鈥� Jesse Stabile Morrell, principal lecturer of nutrition at 易胜博官网.

鈥淢any of us are looking to make changes that will support health and well-being. Food selection 鈥� whether it be at a grocery store, vending machine, dining hall or restaurant 鈥� can be overwhelming to people. This work suggests that a simplified rating system like Guiding Stars influences peoples鈥� perceptions of the availability of healthy foods and the factors that dictate their choice.听Eating establishments may find this helpful when they design menus or display information to customers 鈥� who are increasingly looking for food options that support their health goals,鈥� Morrell said.

The research was conducted by Gale Carey, professor emeritus of nutrition, Rochelle L鈥橧talien, dietitian with 易胜博官网 Dining Services, and Morrell. The research results are presented in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior in听.

鈥淥ur work showed that the addition of Guiding Stars changed patrons鈥� perceptions over time regarding the availability of healthy food choices. In addition, in a food-court setting customers more often felt that Guiding Stars influenced their food selection vs. prior to the addition of the rating system,鈥� said Jesse Stabile Morrell, principal lecturer of nutrition at 易胜博官网. 听听

Specifically, the researchers found that after implementation of Guiding Stars at the centrally located Union Court, respondents more often reported that posted nutrition-information and specifically Guiding Stars had influenced their food selections. Further the percentage of respondents who thought healthy foods were always or mostly available increased from 34 percent prior to implementation to 53 percent seven months after adding the Guiding Stars rating system.

易胜博官网 was one of the first schools in the nation to partner with the Guiding Stars to supplement nutritional labeling to encourage healthier eating by students. The Guiding Stars rating system, which was introduced into the dining halls at 易胜博官网 in the 2009-2010 academic year, identifies key information such as calories, grams of fat and grams of carbohydrates, and provides one of the most complete, simple to use nutritional guidance programs available today.听

The program is based on an extensive database that rates and indexes each prepared item and pre-packaged product based on the听听and other national evidence-based nutrition policies. Each item that earns a star based on certain nutrition criteria is then labeled with the star value on a corresponding tag, sticker or other signage that indicates its nutritional value: one Guiding Star is good, two Guiding Stars is better and three Guiding Stars is best. Foods that receive no stars do not meet the program鈥檚 rigorous criteria.

鈥淲e aim to broaden our understanding of the environmental and behavioral factors that influence healthy behaviors, particularly those that influence unhealthy weight gain,鈥� Morrell said. 鈥淧oor diets and weight gain adversely affects health and targeted research is needed to increase understanding of the interaction between individual and environmental factors associated with this adverse outcome.鈥�

易胜博官网 has the 14th lowest adult obesity rate in the nation, according to听The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America听released September 2016. 易胜博官网's adult obesity rate is currently 26.3 percent, up from 16.1 percent in 2000 and from 9.9 percent in 1990.

This material is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 0231219, and the state of 易胜博官网. This research also was supported by 易胜博官网 Dining Services.

Founded in 1887, the听听at the听听is 易胜博官网鈥檚 original research center and an elemental component of 易胜博官网's land-grant university heritage and mission. We steward federal and state funding, including support from the听, to provide unbiased and objective research concerning diverse aspects of sustainable agriculture and foods, aquaculture, forest management, and related wildlife, natural resources and rural community topics. We maintain the Woodman and Kingman agronomy and horticultural research farms, the Macfarlane Research Greenhouses, the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center, and the Organic Dairy Research Farm. Additional properties also provide forage, forests and woodlands in direct support to research, teaching, and outreach.