Data gleaned from federal nutrition surveys showed people who consumed fast food in the past 24 hours had higher levels of phthalates, chemicals used in plastics, researchers reported in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The study did not find a significant association between Bisphenol A, often used in aluminum cans, and fast-food consumption.

Students enrolled in New York City schools that installed water-jet drinking systems had a reduced body mass index by about .02% to .025% after three months, according to a study by New York University and Syracuse University researchers. Data also show students in the schools with water dispensers purchased less milk.

Hispanic patients with type 2 diabetes achieved a mean A1C of 7.7% one month after participating in an eight-week culturally targeted diabetes education program offered in Spanish, compared with 8.7% in the attention control group, according to a study in The Diabetes Educator. Researchers used a cohort of 92 Hispanic diabetes patients and 94 family members and found those in the intervention group also had significant improvements in diabetes knowledge and self-efficacy scores, but these were not maintained at six months post-intervention.

Carlette Drabek, child nutrition director for a Texas school district, uses feedback from parents, students and other community members to drive menu changes. The district recently hosted a health fair, where participants could sample potential menu items.