Experts from the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at Penn Medicine announced on Mar. 13 that they are applying strategies from tobacco control to address diet-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, especially among children.
The researchers say that public policies similar to those used in tobacco regulation could help reduce the prevalence of these health issues. The initiative is led by Christina Roberto, PhD, the Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo Krody Blutt Presidential Professor of Health Policy and director of the center.
“It’s an approach we call ‘strategic science’ because we’re creating research questions around important topics that policy change agents—regulators, legislators, advocates—have told us they need answers to,” Roberto said.
The Center for Food and Nutrition Policy was established in 2025 as an evolution of the former Psychology of Eating and Consumer Health (PEACH) Lab. According to Roberto, “At the PEACH lab, we were always committed to using research to inform policy, but the center has given us a stronger platform and the resources we need to build relationships with people impacting food policy and communicate the science in more effective ways.”
The announcement highlights ongoing efforts by Penn Medicine researchers to use evidence-based approaches in shaping public health policies related to nutrition.
