title: Reach Out and Eat: Food and Beverages Depicted in Books for Preschoolers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine food and beverage depictions in books for preschoolers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Books for preschoolers from Reach Out and Read (ROR; n = 42), public library (n = 27), and Publisher's Weekly booklists (n = 31) were examined for nutritive and empty-calorie food and beverage depictions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that 66% of books depicted at least 1 food or beverage. More books depicted nutritive items than empty-calorie items (87.5% vs 54.7%, P < .001). There was a trend toward fewer empty-calorie depictions in ROR books than in other booklists. Yet nearly half of ROR books depicted at least 1 empty-calorie item. ROR books also accounted for 5 of 10 books with the most empty-calorie item depictions and 3 of 4 books with branding. With regard to messaging, approximately a third of books with the most empty-calorie depictions promoted unhealthy foods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When selecting books for ROR, it may be important to consider food and beverage depictions and messages.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: England
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linchey
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA PatelA@peds.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Anisha I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001877:Books; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005502:Food / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value
keywords: beverages; books; children; foods; nutrition