Program Areas

Childhood Obesity

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

From Bridging the Gap

Taxes on Soda and Snack Foods

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

You are now viewing 11 - 20 of 33 results

Sort results by:

Refine Your Results

By Topic
By Demographics

Work Group I

April 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article presents the conclusions of a work group charged with improving instrumentation to assess food and activity environments. The paper identifies key challenges and makes recommendations to improve instrumentation in this field.

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.

Physical Activity and Food Environments

March 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article provides an update on the body of research on physical activity and food environments. The authors present results from recent studies and reviews and discuss current promising innovations and policies.

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.

Neighborhood Environments

January 1, 2009 | Journal Article

The availability of fresh produce and other healthy food options is better in higher-income and white neighborhoods. Complex relationships exist between dietary patterns, demographics and health. These relationships must be explored for the purpose of developing responsive health policy.

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.