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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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.

Re/Storing Nashville

August 25, 2011 | Program Result Report

Re/Storing Nashville sought to address lack of access to healthy foods and childhood obesity in three Nashville neighborhoods by increasing residents' access to full-service grocery stores.

An Analysis of Public Health Policy and Legal Issues Relevant to Mobile Food Vending

November 1, 2010 | Journal Article

Mobile food vendors can deliver nutritious food options, in particular fresh produce, to communities that are suffering high obesity rates.

Food Expenditures and Food Purchasing Among Low-Income, Urban, African-American Youth

June 1, 2011 | Journal Article

A study examining the food-buying behavior of lower-income African-American youth found that youth make frequent and unhealthy food purchases.

A New Light Rail Line with Stops in Low-Income Neighborhoods

August 4, 2010 | Program Result Report

ISAIAH, a faith-based community organization of 90 congregations, mobilized community activists to promote the links between transportation and access to healthy foods and to bring light-rail stops to low-income neighborhoods in the Twin Cities.

Food Insecurity Among Children and Families

April 1, 2010 | Report

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

Somerville Farmers' Market Makes Healthy Eating Affordable for All

January 27, 2009 | Program Result Report

The partnership recognized that in order to accomplish its goals, all of its strategies needed to be culturally, linguistically and economically appropriate for community residents.

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.

Measures of the Food Environment

April 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article reviews the relatively new body of research on the food environment, offering a systematic effort to examine its findings and advance the field.