UC ANR's Lauren Au is a nutrition hero

She doesn't wear a cape and mask, but childhood nutrition researcher Lauren Au was proclaimed a nutrition hero in Food & Nutrition Magazine. Au is a researcher with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) Nutrition Policy Institute 

Food & Nutrition Magazine is published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Au told the editors that she was drawn to nutrition and dietetics from a prevention perspective. Both her parents passed away from chronic disease at a young age.

"I wanted so desperately to prevent this hardship from happening to my close family and friends," Au said.

In her role with the Nutrition Policy Institute, she strives to fight and prevent childhood obesity by improving federal nutrition initiatives, such as the school lunch program and the national women, infants and children supplemental nutrition program (WIC). 

"For example, our WIC research has shown that both online and in-person nutrition education can increase healthier breakfast behaviors, which has the potential to reach close to 8 million low-income mothers and children," Au said. Read more about the WIC research here.

Au told Food & Nutrition Magazine that she finds it personally rewarding to share compelling research with legislators and policy makers. 

"It can be extremely powerful," she said. "I just received two large grants to examine the school nutrition environment and the relationship with childhood obesity over the past decade. I am excited to be able to help shape child nutrition legislation in years to come."

 

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