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Diet and Eating Habits

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The ubiquity of food in developed nations does not necessarily imply that people will choose healthy options, nor does the scarcity of food in some developing areas imply poor eating habits. RAND research on diet and eating habits investigates economic and social factors behind such concerns as diet choices, nutrition, access to foods, obesity, and weight loss.

Report
How Calorie Labels on Menus Affect Consumers
In traditional restaurant settings, displaying the calorie content on menus did not affect consumer satisfaction and reduced the amount of food ordered by 38 calories. This is a decrease of 7 percent, a notable difference considering the average American consumes one-third of his or her food calories away from home.
Mar 28, 2018
Commentary
We Are What We Eat: Understanding Food Consumption for Healthier and More Sustainable Diets
Despite a rise in ethical and sustainable eating, most people still make their food choices based on price, convenience, and taste. What policies can help support more healthy decisionmaking?
Aug 12, 2020

Explore Diet and Eating Habits

Journal Article
Improving Diet Quality in U.S. Adults: A 30-Year Health and Economic Impact Microsimulation
Microsimulation (Future Adult Model) predicted 30-year improved diet quality impacts across 12 demographic groups. Diet improvement reduced prevalence of heart disease by 7.6% to 13.8% across groups and reduced healthcare costs by $10B in year 30.
Jul 12, 2022
Journal Article
Diet Quality Improvement and 30-Year Population Health and Economic Outcomes: A Microsimulation Study
Microsimulation (Future Adult Model) predicted 30-year US population changes from improved diet quality. Diet improvement reduced prevalence of diabetes, heart disease and stroke by 11%, 7%, and 10%, and reduced healthcare costs by $144B in year 30.
Jul 12, 2022
Journal Article
Diet Quality in the United States Improved During the Great Recession and Deteriorated During Economic Recovery
During the Great Recession, American diets became more consistent with Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations, possibly because of a shift toward food prepared at home instead of prepared food bought away from home.
Jul 7, 2022
Report
Impacts of Marine Corps Body Composition and Military Appearance Program (BCMAP) Standards on Individual Outcomes and Talent Management
Researchers examine how the U.S. Marine Corps' Body Composition and Military Appearance Program and its associated policies drive individual behavior -- namely those related to disordered eating -- of marines and specifically of women and people of color.
Mar 28, 2022
Commentary
Inequitable Marine Corps Body Composition Policies and Their Effect on Health
The Marine Corps Body Composition and Military Appearance Program is potentially harming Marines. The Marine Corps should consider pausing the policy while it further examines its effects on individual health and considers developing a new health-focused policy that includes requirements designed to reflect the diversity of the force.
Mar 25, 2022
Journal Article
Bittersweet: How Prices of Sugar-Rich Foods Contribute to the Diet-Related Disease Epidemic in Mexico
I provide new evidence on how price changes of nutritionally similar foods, such as those rich in sugar or fats, change obesity and diet-related diseases in the context of Mexico between 1996–2010.
Jan 13, 2022
Journal Article
Provision of School Meals Across the EU: An Overview of Rationales, Evidence, Facilitators and Barriers
This research for EPIC examines the available evidence behind the provision of free or subsidised meals to children via schools across the EU. It includes an overview of rationales, evidence, facilitators and barriers in their provision.
Oct 1, 2021
Journal Article
Longitudinal Associations Between Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Use, Eating Behavior, Perceived Stress, and Self-Rated Health in a Cohort of Low-Income Black Adults
We found significant longitudinal associations between smoking behavior and eating behavior, perceived stress, and self-rated health. This has implications for the development of behavior change programs and community-level interventions and policies.
Aug 27, 2021
Journal Article
Food Insecurity Is Associated with Objectively Measured Sleep Problems
Food Insecurity (FI) can be a profound source of stress, which may increase the risk for sleep disturbance. This is the first study to examine the association between FI and objectively and subjectively measured sleep.
Mar 16, 2021
Journal Article
School Food and Beverage Availability and Children's Diet, Purchasing, and Obesity: Evidence From a Natural Experiment
We examined whether the number of competitive food and beverage items available for purchase in school, overall and by type (unhealthy, healthy, neutral), was associated with in-school food purchases, dietary behaviors, and body mass index outcomes.
Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article
Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.
Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article
Improvements in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Conditions May Improve Resident Diet
Investing in neighborhoods may support resident diet through improvements in neighborhood commercial environments for renters, but mechanisms appear to differ for homeowners.
Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article
Perceptions and Determinants of Healthy Eating for People with HIV in the Dominican Republic Who Experience Food Insecurity
PLHIV who experience food insecurity face various barriers to engaging in healthy dietary behaviours. Their diets are influenced at multiple levels of influence ranging from individual to structural, requiring multi-level interventions that can address these factors concurrently.
Oct 7, 2020
Tool
How Would a Better Diet Affect Health and Economic Outcomes in the United States?
An online tool shows the effect that improving diet quality in the United States could have on health and economic outcomes, such as the prevalence of diet-related illness, health care spending, and labor force participation, over a 30-year period.
Sep 21, 2020
Blog
L.A.'s High Unemployment, RAND's New Research Center, Twitter: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on unemployment in the Los Angeles area, the new RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy, food consumption in the UK, and more.
Aug 14, 2020
Report
Food consumption in the UK: Trends, attitudes and drivers
To help inform policy and research around food consumption, RAND Europe conducted a rapid evidence assessment on food consumption trends, drivers and interventions in the UK, and identified four key priority areas for consideration by policymakers.
Aug 11, 2020
Journal Article
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Messaging Program Within a Church-Based Healthy Living Intervention for African Americans and Latinos
This study explores the feasibility of using text messaging to send healthy eating and active living messages to congregants from churches whose membership were predominantly AA or Latino that participated in an intervention to address obesity.
Oct 15, 2019
Journal Article
Naturopathic Medicine for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
To evaluate the effectiveness of representative naturopathic approaches to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, we conducted a randomized clinical trial of a multimodality nutritional and physical activity intervention in a workplace setting.
Jun 11, 2019
Commentary
Pittsburgh's Hill District Is Losing More Than a Supermarket
When the Shop 'n Save in Pittsburgh's Hill District closed its doors for good, residents lost the ability to go to a supermarket near their homes. But they also lost something less tangible: a symbol of hope, opportunity, and change for their neighborhood.
Apr 1, 2019

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