Unhealthy eating is a major risk factor for obesity and associated chronic non-communicable diseases, with the Caribbean having the worst rates in the Americas. This episode features Dr. Gail Ferguson talking about her new research project, the JUS Media? Programme, which focuses on combatting risk factors for unhealthy eating in Jamaica and implementing effective family health prevention programs in developing regions.

Using a cells-to-society approach to nutrition, STRONG Kids 2 is examining how individual biology interacts with the family environment to promote health eating habits in young children. This episode features STRONG Kids Project Coordinator Jen Themanson who walks us through the program's goals and provides updates on where things stand with project recruitment.

This episode features Jessica Jarick Metcalfe. Jessica is a graduate student and research coordinator in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois, and her research focuses on children participating in cooking and the positive influence this may have on their food preferences. She works closely with Illinois Extension for developing and evaluating the Illinois Junior Chefs Program, a cooking program geared toward school-aged children.

Illinois Junior Chefs Program: https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/programs/health-nutrition/illinois-junior-chef

Recipe Database: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/INEP/recipes-new/index.php

Contact Illinois Extension: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/contactus.cf

Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental contaminants, and three-quarters of American children under age five spend at least 20 hours per week at an out-of-home child care facility. In this podcast, Dr. Barbara Fiese speaks about ways to reduce harmful exposures and create healthy environments in child care settings. Podcast is courtesy of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Dr. Barbara Fiese, Director of the Family Resiliency Center and Professor in HDFS, discussed the factors that contribute to childhood obesity and answered your questions on June 2 on Twitter using #askACES. Podcast is courtesy of the College of ACES