Volume 55, Issue 8, August 2021

T his article provides an overview to a special section highlighting new directions in obesity research. It includes research on gene by environment interactions, interventions to enhance health equity among specific at-risk populations, and work using creative stimuli and constructs.

African Americans who experience greater genetic risk related to stress and more negative social neighborhood perceptions, showed greater waist circumferences over two years.

Risk information highlighting gene-environment interaction had a better profile of outcomes for encouraging parent behavior change than genetics- or family environment-only information.

Differences in the degree of English language use/preference between Hispanic/Latino parents and their children were associated with greater risk for obesity among youth.

Subgroups of consumers who see lines marking out the appropriate portion size on snack food packaging, eat fewer portions than consumers who don't see this information.

Using real-time data collection methods in a sample of adults with binge eating disorder, the cumulative pileup of stress over the last 12 hours was more predictive of momentary binge eating compared to more recent ratings of stress.

Positively framing side effect warnings to emphasise that some people will not experience side effects reduced cybersickness following virtual reality by inhibiting the nocebo effect

Comparing an individual to his/herself at two time points suggested that workplace neighborhood SES has a role in health-related behaviors, particularly in risky alcohol consumption

Daily diaries revealed U.S. adults exhibit diverse patterns of engagement in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Emotions and COVID-19-related worry�but not estimates of perceived disease risk�drive recommended behaviors.

Social distancing attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions were associated with social distancing behavior at 3-month follow-up. Racial minorities and younger adults displayed larger intention-behavior gaps.