FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Two professors and a student in the University of Arkansas' Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences combined to earn a regional "Best Paper Award" for research on fast-food eating habits related to childhood obesity.

Godwin-Charles Ogbeide, associate professor of human nutrition and hospitality innovation; Jennifer Henk, assistant professor of human development and family sciences; and Dylan Martinez, a doctoral student in food science; collaborated on a study of potential links between healthy eating habits and fast food consumption to childhood obesity.

Their study, "Fast Food: To Eat or Not to Eat," was recognized at the Central Federation Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Conference in Olathe, Kansas, in April.

The findings showed household healthy eating is associated with significantly less consumption of fast foods, sugar beverages and lower childhood obesity. The results revealed "overall, children learn more by example. Therefore, children from households where healthy eating habits are modeled for them are more likely to adopt healthy eating habits."

Their study was funded by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.