Provider encouragement significantly increases breast-feeding initiation among American women of all social and ethnic backgrounds.

Objective: To measure change in fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among elementary-school children after the introduction of a salad bar programme as a lunch menu option in the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) reimbursable lunch programme in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Design: A cross-sectional sample of children was interviewed before and after a salad bar intervention (1998 and 2000, respectively) utilising a 24-hour food recall questionnaire. Frequencies of F&V consumption were calculated. Setting: The evaluation took place in three LAUSD elementary schools participating in the salad bar programme and the USDA reimbursable lunch programme. Subjects: Three hundred and thirty-seven children in 2nd-5th grade (7-11 years old). Results: After the salad bar was introduced, there was a significant increase in frequency (2.97 to 4.09, P , 0.001) of F&V consumed among the children studied. The increase in frequency of F&V consumed was almost all due to an increase during lunch (84%). Mean energy, cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat intakes were significantly lower in the children after the salad bar was introduced in the schools compared with the intakes in the children before the salad bar was introduced. Conclusion: A salad bar as a lunch menu option in the USDA reimbursable lunch programme can significantly increase the frequency of F&V consumption by elementary-school children living in low-income households.

The role of the father has been identified as one of the strongest influences on the initiation and duration of breastfeeding by mothers in the United States. This report describes a corporate lactation program that focuses on promoting breastfeeding through male employees. Since 1990, a full-time on-site lactation program has been offered to male employees at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, a public utility company. The male program participants are from diverse backgrounds. Participation in the Fathering Program has grown since 1990 based on word of mouth, fathers' interest in the benefits of breastfeeding for the infant, and the female partners' interest in getting a free pump rental. This report illustrates the viability of a breastfeeding support program that targets male employees and that is offered in a corporate setting.

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