Healthy Affordable Food

RWJF Priority: Increase access to high-quality, affordable foods through new or improved grocery stores and healthier corner stores and bodegas

Research shows that having a supermarket or grocery store in a neighborhood increases residents’ fruit and vegetable consumption and is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) among adolescents. Yet, many families do not have access to healthy affordable foods in their neighborhoods. This is especially true in lower-income communities, where convenience stores and fast-food restaurants are widespread, but supermarkets and farmers’ markets are scarce.

Childhood Obesity Policy Priorities

Health policy snapshot

Do All Americans Have Equal Access to Healthy Foods?

Millions of Americans do not have access to healthy, affordable foods. Supermarkets provide the most reliable access to nutritious and affordable produce.

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From Bridging the Gap

Zoning for Healthy Food Access Varies by Community Income

Community zoning policies are more likely to allow fast-food restaurants and retail stores than supermarkets and grocery stores.

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From Healthy Eating Research

Changes to WIC Program Improve Access to Healthy Foods and Beverages Without Increasing Costs

Corner stores, convenience stores, and bodegas in two lower-income North Philadelphia neighborhoods began carrying healthier foods after the federal government made changes to a popular food aid program.

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From the Food Trust

Harnessing the Power of Supermarkets to Help Reverse Childhood Obesity

This report identifies “win-win-win” solutions for consumers, retailers and manufacturers.

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Winning strategies in the fight against childhood obesity

Pittsburgh-Area Supermarket a Showplace for Healthier Food Options

Thanks to a state grant and loan program, Safran Brothers Shop & Save is a gleaming, up-to-date store and a business that is adding jobs to this economically depressed area.

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From the Hudson Institute

Lower-Calorie Foods: It's Just Good Business

Restaurant chains that serve more lower-calorie foods and beverages have better business performance.

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3 p.m. to Bedtime: Crunch Time for Children and Obesity

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

A poll reveals that many parents face a variety of barriers to helping their children lead healthy lives, especially during the "crunch time" from 3 p.m. to bedtime.

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Childhood Obesity Program Area

RWJF is committed to tackling one of the most urgent threats to the health of our children and families—childhood obesity. Our goal is to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Fruit and Vegetable Availability and Selection

October 1, 2012 | Journal Article

Expansion of WIC foods was associated with small positive externalities on the food environment.

Food Insecurity Among Children and Families

April 1, 2010 | Report

Synthesis from Healthy Eating Research finds little evidence of a direct link.

Teaming Up to Address Childhood Obesity in Rural Washington State

January 14, 2009 | Program Result Report

The Washington Health Foundation funded three projects in rural areas of Washington State that addressed childhood obesity by changing policy, the environment or individual behavior. RWJF provided a matching grant.

Creating Gardens in 15 North Carolina Counties

September 20, 2009 | Program Result Report

FirstHealth is a nonprofit health system covering 15 counties with a network of hospitals, health and fitness centers, primary and dental care centers, and a hospice and home care program.

Principles for Framing a Healthy Food System

July 1, 2009 | Journal Article

A healthy food system is one in which everyone has daily access to a diet that allows for a full life, that does not deplete natural resources and allows for a sustainable livelihood by those involved with all aspects of food production. The author suggests seven principles that could be used in moving the United States toward a markedly improved food system.

Changing WIC Changes What Children Eat

January 1, 2013 | Journal Article

Changes in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Healthy Lifestyle Initiative saw improved health for young children participating in the New York State (NYS) WIC program: breastfeeding mothers and mothers waiting to feed infants solid foods increased; screen time and overall overweight and obesity decreased among children in NYS under four years of age.

Monitoring Foods and Nutrients Sold and Consumed in the United States

January 1, 2012 | Journal Article

As food production and consumption change, researchers look to datasets to provide information on food in America.

Relationship of Fruit and Vegetable Intake with Adiposity

July 14, 2010 | Journal Article

Studies are inconclusive whether increased fruit and vegetable consumption alone can reduce obesity.

US-Based Food and Agricultural Value Chains and Their Relevance to Healthy Diets

July 1, 2009 | Journal Article

A Global Value Chain (GVC) analysis examines the structure of food production and consumption systems and identifies leverage points that can bring change at a structural level. This article applies the GVC framework to two food value chains—chicken and tomatoes—to gain insights into the contemporary dynamics of food supply chains and their implications for healthy diets.

Affordability and Obesity

July 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article examines the relationship between obesity and the affordability of food. While some argue that the availability of certain types of foods has a causal effect on obesity, there is little definitive data supporting this claim.