Public Health Nutrition and Healthy Food Access
Research for healthy living behavior and health system strategies
Addressing diet-related chronic conditions in Texas and beyond
Most American’s diet quality is poor. In Texas, this has contributed to a high rate of obesity, rising sharply from 12% in 1990 to 36% in 2020. This results in high levels of chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity. Texans spend about $239 billion annually on health care. More than 80% of the health care costs are due to chronic conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impact of obesity on the immune system. Recent research finds that aside from vaccination, meeting physical activity recommendations and managing one’s weight are the most important actions one can take to minimize the risk of severe COVID-19.
Why has the obesity rate increased so much? We know that calorie intake has increased, and physical activity has decreased, as obesity rates have increased. Our research looks to understand why Texans eat more calories than necessary. We also study the impact of policy, educational, and environmental strategies intended to improve diet quality and calorie intake.
Selected Publication links
Evaluation of Food Assistance Programs
- An Increase in SNAP Benefits Did Not Impact Food Security or Diet Quality in Youth
- Do additional SNAP benefits matter for child weight?: Evidence from the 2009 benefit increase
- Factors Associated with the Initiation of Added Sugar among Low Income Young Children Participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in the US
- SNAP and Cardiometabolic Risk in Youth
Developing Healthier Food Environments
- A College Fast-Food Environment and Student Food and Beverage Choices: Developing and Integrated Database to Examine Food and Beverage Purchasing Choices among College Students
- Neighborhood disadvantage and the sales of unhealthy products: alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy snack food
- A Model Depicting the Retail Food Environment and Customer Interactions: Components, Outcomes, and Future Directions
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) authorization of discount variety stores: leveraging the private sector to modestly increase availability of healthy foods
- Increasing Access to WIC through Discount Variety Stores: Findings from Qualitative Research
Faculty and staff
Beth Racine, DrPH, RD
Public Health and Nutrition Research P.I., Center Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research
915-859-9111
