July 2026

NCCOR Toolbox: Explore NCCOR's Resource Library

July 2026, NCCOR

Looking for the latest tools, publications, and resources to support childhood obesity research and practice? NCCOR’s Resource Library is a comprehensive collection of over 240 reports, peer-reviewed publications, factsheets, case studies, annual reports, and practical resources designed for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and educators. Whether you’re searching for evidence-based guidance, implementation tools, or the latest findings from NCCOR initiatives, the Resource Library makes it easy to discover and access valuable materials that can inform your work and advance healthier communities. Explore the library today and find resources tailored to your interests and needs.

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Changing the Default: A Policy Roadmap for Reducing Added Sugars in Children’s Diets

June 2026, The George Washington University

American children today consume far too much added sugar, and it is harming their health. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans set the most ambitious target yet for reducing children’s added sugar intake, recommending that those under age 11 avoid these sugars entirely. These reduction targets are ambitious because added sugars are not a single, niche ingredient. Rather, they exist in multiple forms and are everywhere: in schools, in child care, and in the everyday staples families rely on – from breakfast cereals and bread to yogurt and condiments.

As a result, reaching these targets will not happen through nutrition guidance alone. What is needed is a sustained effort to holistically change the food environment parents and their children navigate, as well as the structural forces that make high added sugar intake so persistent. The policy recommendations in this brief give federal, state, and local policymakers a roadmap to change the food environment, organized around three central pillars: setting tighter limits for added sugars in the settings where children learn and play; reshaping supply and demand for added sugars in the food system; and giving families better information about added sugars in the products they purchase.

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Activating the Food Is Medicine Ecosystem: A Framework for Stakeholder Partnerships

June 1, 2026, Milken Institute

Food Is Medicine (FIM) has reached a critical inflection point. What began as a community-rooted response to unmet nutrition needs has evolved into a nationally recognized strategy for preventing and treating diet-related chronic disease, driven by health plans, community-based organizations, food retailers, technology platforms, funders, and policymakers interacting in increasingly complex and interconnected ways.

That complexity is both a sign of progress and a source of friction. Across the FIM ecosystem, stakeholders report unclear roles, misaligned incentives, and partnership structures that strain under the pressure of shifting funding and policy environments. Without intentional design, these challenges can limit efficiency, erode trust, and constrain the ability of FIM programs to scale and reach the people who need them most.

Activating the Food Is Medicine Ecosystem: A Framework for Stakeholder Partnerships is designed to address that gap. Drawing on the expertise of leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors—including individuals with lived experience participating in FIM programs—the report offers a shared language, practical tools, and a menu of partnership approaches that stakeholders can adapt to their own contexts and needs. The framework is organized around three core enablers of effective FIM partnerships: designing partnership architecture, optimizing funding partnerships for collaboration, and building shared understanding and long-term value. Together, these sections provide 57 actionable recommendations for implementers, funders, policymakers, health plans, retailers, and other partners working to strengthen FIM collaboration at every level of the ecosystem.

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Food is Medicine Toolkit

May 2026, Tufts University

Nutrition plays a central role in managing and preventing chronic conditions, yet many healthcare systems lack clear guidance on how to effectively integrate food-based interventions into clinical care.

The Food is Medicine Toolkit provides actionable strategies, evidence-based program design options, and practical implementation resources to help care teams deliver Food is Medicine programs and supportive education, tailored to patient population, organizational capacity, and reimbursement landscape.

Whether you’re exploring your first pilot program or scaling an existing initiative, this toolkit offers the roadmap to make Food is Medicine a sustainable part of comprehensive care.

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2025 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey

May 2026, National WIC Association

Studies show that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is cost-effective in protecting and improving the health, food security, and nutritional status of women, infants, and children in families with low income. However, WIC remains underutilized with only 56% of eligible individuals participating in 2023, and coverage rates vary by participant type, demographic characteristics, and state (United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service [USDA, FNS], 2025c).

Since 2020, WIC has prioritized a range of modernization efforts, including the transition to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, the development and adoption of WIC apps, and a shift from primarily in-person services to a hybrid model integrating in-person and remote services (USDA, FNS, 2025d). During this period, the Cash Value Benefit (CVB) for purchasing fruits and vegetables also increased from $9-11 per month, depending on the participant type, to $25-49 per month. In April 2024, the USDA, FNS updated the WIC food packages to better align with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), broadening food options and increasing the CVB to $26-$52 per month, depending on participant type.

A team from the National WIC Association (NWA), Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI), and Pepperdine University previously conducted two multi-state surveys with WIC participants in 2021 and 2023. Satisfaction with WIC’s hybrid service model increased from 2021 to 2023, suggesting continued hybrid services may benefit participants facing access challenges. Building on prior surveys for trend comparisons, the 2025 survey added questions on breastfeeding support, updated food packages, and immigration-related concerns. Findings from this study can inform the USDA and WIC State Agencies on participant-centered approaches to boost WIC participation and retain participants already enrolled in WIC.

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Study Makes Economic Case for Teen Weight-Loss Surgery

June 15, 2026, EurekAlert!

Metabolic and bariatric surgery for teens with severe obesity was found to be cost-effective over 10 years, according to the new analysis from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in JAMA Network Open. While long-term clinical benefits of weight-loss surgery for eligible teens have been well established, and it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, insurance coverage has been limited and few teens can take advantage of the surgery. This study strengthens the case for insurers and policymakers to support coverage and improve access to the procedure.

“Severe obesity in adolescence is a serious and expensive health problem, and with the high risk for complications like diabetes, the long-term costs can be substantial,” said lead author John Rode, MD, MS, Pediatric Surgery Research Fellow at Lurie Children’s. “Our study shows that over time, weight-loss surgery emerges as the most cost-effective option when we consider years of better health that it provides, compared to non-surgical management for teens with severe obesity.”

Dr. Rode and colleagues built a detailed simulation model that follows teenagers with severe obesity over 10 years and compares two paths – one where they have surgery and one where they don’t. The model included real-world data from previous studies on three key aspects of obesity care: what care costs (the surgery itself, follow-up care, and the ongoing treatment of obesity-related illnesses), how teens’ health changes over time on each path, and how those changes affect their quality of life.

Type 2 diabetes was one of the most important factors considered. It is among the most serious and expensive conditions driven by severe obesity, as it often appears early and can last a lifetime. The model accounted for how likely teens are to develop diabetes on each path, and how surgery shifts those odds.

“Weight-loss surgery frequently sends type 2 diabetes into remission, sparing patients years of medication, complications and cost,” said Dr. Rode. “Because diabetes is so expensive to manage over a lifetime, avoiding or reversing it is one of the biggest reasons that surgery provides such great value. Of course, an important caveat is that surgery remains a major case-by-case decision for teens who meet the criteria.”

To see how reliable the results were, researchers ran the model 300,000 times, varying the inputs across the full range of real-world possibilities. Across those simulations, the pattern held – surgery consistently delivered more years of healthy life, at a cost per year that fell below what health systems consider a good value. That value was strongest for sleeve gastrectomy, which is one of the most common types of weight-loss surgery.

“Our model did not consider treatment with GLP-1s because long-term data are lacking for these therapies and they are typically prescribed for teens with less severe obesity, making it difficult to make robust comparisons at this time,” explained Dr. Rode. “However, as long-term GLP-1 clinical outcome and cost data emerge, our study can serve as a benchmark for comparison with weight-loss surgery.”

Co-authors from Lurie Children’s include Thomas Inge, MD, PhD, and Justin Ryder, PhD.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is a nonprofit organization committed to providing access to exceptional care for every child. It is the only independent, research-driven children’s hospital in Illinois and one of less than 35 nationally. This is where the top doctors go to train, practice pediatric medicine, teach, advocate, research and stay up to date on the latest treatments. Exclusively focused on children, all Lurie Children’s resources are devoted to serving their needs. Research at Lurie Children’s is conducted through Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, which is focused on improving child health, transforming pediatric medicine and ensuring healthier futures through the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Lurie Children’s is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. It is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

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National Institutes of Health–Supported Research on Ultraprocessed Foods

June 12, 2026, JAMA Network

Importance

Evidence continues to mount that ultraprocessed food (UPFs) may contribute to diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and some cancers. In the US, these conditions account for over 1 million deaths each year and cost the economy over $1.1 trillion in health care costs and lost productivity. This disease burden has intensified interest about the potential health impacts of UPF.

Objective

To characterize the portfolio of research on UPF supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Evidence Review

All NIH-supported research projects included in this Special Communication were awarded between fiscal years 2016 and 2025. An initial 520 projects were identified using iSearch and were manually reviewed for a focus on UPF. All projects that met the inclusion criteria were coded for study design, health conditions, and UPF-specific topics. The research projects were collected in June 2025, and a review and analysis of the data using descriptive statistics were conducted between June 1 and December 31, 2025.

Findings

A total of 81 NIH-supported UPF-specific projects were identified. Of these 81 projects, 58 studied various health conditions in relation to UPF consumption and 29 were interventional research, some of which examined the effects of food policies or lifestyle interventions on health outcomes. Forty-nine projects were coded as basic research, 32 of which examined human biological mechanisms of action from UPF exposure, and 5 studies included hybrids of human and vertebrate animal studies. The total number of NIH-supported projects has increased from 8 projects in fiscal year 2016 to 22 projects in fiscal year 2025, and funding for UPF-specific research increased from $3.3 million in fiscal year 2016 to $12 million in fiscal year 2025.

Conclusions and Relevance

NIH support for UPF-specific research has grown since fiscal year 2016. Most research projects have focused on the connection between obesity and UPF intake; fewer have used interventions to address food access and/or insecurity and food environment. This is a key research gap given the role of food environments as a driver of UPF consumption in different populations and their importance in improving health outcomes. Another critical research gap is mechanistic research to elucidate causal pathways linking UPF consumption to adverse health outcomes and validated biomarkers of UPF exposure and disease.

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Parents’ Reactions to a Social Media Marketing Campaign Promoting Universal School Meals Among Elementary-Aged US Children: A Content Analysis

June 11, 2026, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

Objective

To examine parents’ reactions (e.g., likes, comments) to a social media campaign encouraging participation in universal school meals (USM) programs.

Design

Content analysis of parents’ reactions to static Facebook posts (images with captions) posted as part of a parent-directed campaign promoting USM participation.

Participants

Parents (n = 404) of children in grades 1–5 in states that offered USM during the 2024–2025 school year.

Main Outcome Measure

Acceptance or rejection of campaign messages.

Analysis

We calculated descriptive statistics of parents’ comments to characterize acceptance or rejection of campaign messages. Using thematic analysis, we inductively coded parents’ comments to identify themes associated with acceptance or rejection of the campaign messages.

Results

Comments indicating acceptance (34%) largely focused on gratitude for the money-saving, convenience, and social benefits of USM. Comments indicating rejection (29%) primarily discussed beliefs that school meals were unhealthy and of poor quality, with some questioning the posts’ credibility or seeking references or statistics to support the posts’ claims.

Conclusions and Implications

Campaigns promoting USM may wish to focus on money-saving, convenience, and social benefits of USM, and include references and statistics to boost the credibility of claims.

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Quantitative Evaluation of Produce Prescription Programs in the United States: A Scoping Review

June 9, 2026, Nutrition Reviews

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review was to document quantitative measures used to evaluate produce prescription programs (PRxs). Produce prescription programs for fruits and vegetables are aimed to improve nutrition and health outcomes among individuals with or at risk for chronic disease, many of whom also experience food and nutrition insecurity. Little is known about the scope of evaluation measures applied to PRxs. The JBI guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews were followed. Five databases and web searches were used to identify abstracts, reports, grey literature, and peer-reviewed literature evaluating PRxs in the United States. Data from sources that met inclusion criteria were extracted into a standardized spreadsheet categorized by program characteristics (eg, prescription details, nutrition education), source characteristics (eg, study design), and all quantitative evaluation measures used across multiple levels (eg, individual/household, program implementors, process, community). The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Produce Prescription Program Theory of Change framework was used to identify common measures and to highlight measurement gaps along the pathway from program activities to outcomes. A total of 91 sources were included in the scoping review. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (n = 68), program process (n = 64), dietary intake (n = 56), health indicators (n = 56), food and financial security (n = 44), and self-efficacy/knowledge/attitudes (n = 36) were the most frequent constructs measured across all sources. Other common measures included physical and emotional well-being (n = 21), food purchasing patterns (n = 17), and other health-related behaviors (n = 16). Measures of healthcare utilization (n = 15), community and food environment (n = 7), and program implementors (n = 5) were the least frequently reported. A wide variety of quantitative measures have been used to evaluate PRxs across the United States. There is a need to standardize PRx evaluation measures to better capture the important impacts that PRxs have on individuals or households, program implementors, and the broader community.

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A RE-AIM Analysis of Better Together: A Multi-Level Program to Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity in Early Care and Education in Four States

May 20, 2026, Childhood Obesity

Background

Systemic barriers contribute to challenges in implementing sustainable improvements in early care and education (ECE) health promotion practices, including fragmented state systems, limited organizational capacity, and a lack of accessible, high-quality professional development. Guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, this study evaluated the Better Together approach—a multi-level quasi-experimental program aimed at enhancing health promotion practices in ECE programs.

Methods

Better Together, developed by Nemours Children’s Health and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Community Health & Wellness Resource Team, used organizational- and systems-level approaches to improve ECE health promotion practices. Learning collaboratives (organizational level) addressing ECE health practices were delivered by trained consultants. State partners coordinated efforts to impact state systems change using the CDC’s Spectrum of Opportunities 2.0 Framework (systems-level). Surveys and program data were collected to assess reach, effectiveness, adoption, and implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate RE-AIM outcomes.

Results

Four states implemented Better Together learning collaboratives, reaching 1,078 staff from 533 ECE programs. Across states, ECE program completion of initiative components ranged from 58.0 to 94.7% (adoption). Consultants implemented planned sessions (n = 26; implementation). On average, ECE programs experienced a 15.1% increase in health-promoting practices (range 11.8–17.5%; effectiveness). Partner groups generated 10 state system-level action plans to promote ECE health practices in perpetuity (maintenance).

Conclusions

The RE-AIM evaluation of the Better Together program showed positive results. It reached a significant number of ECE programs, leading to increased health-promoting practices, policies, and environments, as well as initiated state-level ECE systems change to sustain support.

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