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.

Read the study

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.

Learn more

More Research and Resources on Pricing Strategies

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Community Food Environments May be Contributing to Obesity

October 1, 2010 | Program Result

This project developed the Nutritional Environment Measures Surveys (NEMS), pilot tested the measures in four Atlanta neighborhoods and developed a training program on using the measures.

Community Organizing to Expand Access to Healthy Food and Safe Places to Play

October 1, 2009 | Program Result

A group of leaders in public health, healthcare, research, government, and community advocacy and programming launched the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children.

Convergence Partnership

October 31, 2012 | Program Result

The Convergence Partnership is a collaborative of funders creating healthy people in healthy places through policy and environmental change. It focuses on policy advocacy, access to healthy foods, and the built environment.

Creating Gardens in 15 North Carolina Counties

September 20, 2009 | Program Result

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.

Do All Americans Have Equal Access to Healthy Foods?

December 11, 2012 | Issue Brief

Many Americans lack regular access to healthy, affordable foods. Supermarkets provide the most reliable access to nutritious and affordable produce, and their presence is an important indicator of a community's physical health and economic vitality.

Durham, N.C., Teens' Inner-City Organic Garden Feeds Their New Demand for Vegetables

August 1, 2007 | Program Result

South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces (SEEDS) in Durham, N.C., expanded Durham Inner-City Gardeners (DIG) - a program that teaches teenagers about organic farming and healthy eating habits.

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.

El Paso Group Teaches Kids to Eat Healthier

September 7, 2011 | Story

Winning Strategies in the Fight Against Childhood Obesity.

Evaluation of Communities Creating Healthy Environments

September 18, 2009 | Evaluation

A participatory evaluation of Communities Creating Healthy Environments (C-CHE) is being conducted to evaluate grassroots activities that has been demonstrated to be optimally useful for grassroots advocacy in particular.

Faith & Food

August 4, 2011 | Program Result

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.