Pricing Strategies

RWJF Priority: Use pricing strategies—both incentives and disincentives—to promote the purchase of healthier foods

Prices can significantly affect family food choices and are emerging as an important strategy in the movement to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. For example, when healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are more affordable, children are less likely to gain excess weight. And leading health authorities, including the Institute of Medicine, recommend new policies to reduce overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which are one of the top sources of calories in the American diet.

The resources below, from RWJF grantees and partners, explore the possible health and economic impacts of using pricing strategies to promote consumption of healthy foods and beverages and discourage consumption of unhealthy products.

Childhood Obesity Policy Priorities

Featured

A Penny-Per-Ounce Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Could Have Big Impact

Such a tax could prevent unnecessary, potentially life-threatening conditions—and help avoid billions of dollars in medical costs over a decade—according to a recent study.

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From the Food Trust

Harnessing the Power of Supermarkets to Help Reverse Childhood Obesity

A report from The Food Trust examines in-store promotions and pricing strategies that may encourage people to buy healthier foods and beverages.

Read the report

From Bridging the Gap

Taxes on Soda and Snack Foods

Bridging the Gap (BTG) examines how changes in price affect consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. BTG also has the latest research about state-level taxes on snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages.

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More Research and Resources on Pricing Strategies

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Faith & Food

August 4, 2011 | Program Result Report

The Center for Closing the Health Gap in Greater Cincinnati, in partnership with three Avondale neighborhood churches, mobilized a faith-based coalition to advance policies to improve the availability of healthy, affordable foods.

Building Infrastructure to Document the U.S. Food Stream

February 1, 2013 | Journal Article

This commentary praises the detailed work of the article “Food Companies’ Calorie-Reduction Pledges to Improve U.S. Diet," which describes the independent evaluation of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) pledge to remove 1.5 trillion calories a year from the marketplace by the end of 2015.

A National Grassroots Campaign for Healthier Food

May 23, 2011 | Program Result Report

From 2009 to 2010, Active Voice, San Francisco, organized Ingredients for Change, a nationwide grassroots campaign designed to spur public awareness and advocacy around healthy food, food justice and childhood obesity.

The Hunger Action Network Brings Vegetables to Thousands of Plates

May 23, 2011 | Program Result Report

The Hunger Action Network increased access to healthy, affordable food among low-income residents in selected neighborhoods in New York City and Schenectady, N.Y.

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.

Economic Contextual Factors and Child Body Mass Index

April 1, 2011 | Book

This policy paper is from a series published by the National Bureau of Economic Research on obesity in the United States. The authors examined the relationship between children's weight and fast food and fruit and vegetable prices, and children's weight and availability of fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores.

Taxing Soft Drinks and Restricting Access to Vending Machines to Curb Child Obesity

April 1, 2010 | Journal Article

One of the largest drivers of the current obesity epidemic is thought to be excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Mobile Food Vending and the After-School Food Environment

January 1, 2010 | Journal Article

This study observed the after-school food environment in an urban area in order to study the range of vendors encountered near schools and the items sold in the after-school period.

Exploring the Public Health and Financial Implications of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

December 2, 2009 | Journal Article

Research briefs, journal articles and online resources explore the possible health and economic impacts of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

Snacking in Children

November 1, 2009 | Journal Article

The easy availability of low-nutrition snacks may contribute to childhood obesity in minority and low-income communities.