Federal Government

Through agriculture, nutrition and other policies and programs, the federal government wields enormous influence over the foods we eat and beverages we drink.  By adjusting these and other policies, the federal government can help create and maintain environments where all children and their families can access affordable, healthy foods and beverages.  

• Continue to improve the quality of school meals and update nutrition standards for the school meal programs to bring them in line with current nutrition science, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Update the national nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold or available outside of the school meal programs, such as those sold in vending machines, school stores and à la carte in the cafeteria.
• Urge states to fully implement the revised food packages in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provide more fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products.
• Support initiatives such as the Healthy Incentives Pilot (part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) to provide incentives at the point of purchase to encourage households participating in SNAP to purchase fruits, vegetables or other healthful foods.   
• Support the expansion of farm-to-school and farm-to-community programs that stimulate local economies and strengthen connections with agriculture.
• Through the adoption of rules, regulations and other programmatic guidance, incorporate the Institute of Medicine’s nutrition guidelines for foods served in federally supported education and childcare programs.

State Governments

While some policy approaches fall largely under federal jurisdiction, others are shared with state government. These provide an outstanding opportunity for state leaders to improve food environments and promote the consumption of healthy food and beverages.  

• Develop state standards for foods and beverages served in schools by restricting the sale of unhealthy products in vending machines, creating nutrition standards for “competitive foods” (those served outside the federal school breakfast or lunch programs) and improving nutrition in pre-school and after-school programs.
• Establish policies to promote healthy foods and beverages in other school settings, such as offering only nutritious snacks during the school day, prohibiting the use of food as a reward or punishment, and limiting the use of unhealthy foods at school celebrations and as part of fundraisers.
• Strengthen state-administered nutrition education and promotion initiatives for all federal nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, WIC and school meals.
• Support community groups and farmers in acquiring needed technology to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer, debit and credit purchases at farmers’ markets and other similar venues.
• Create incentive programs to attract supermarkets and grocery stores to underserved communities (e.g., tax credits, grant and loan programs, small business/economic development programs and other economic incentives).
• Develop regional infrastructure that links farms, schools and communities, providing residents with locally grown foods that might otherwise be unavailable.
• Support equipment upgrades to school kitchen facilities so healthier foods can be stored, prepared and served on-site, for example, purchasing salad bar equipment and broilers instead of fryers.
• Require fast-food and chain restaurants to include, at a minimum, calorie information on in-store menus and menu boards.

Local Governments

Local policy-makers have direct control over many decisions that shape neighborhood food environments. Choices like where to place a school, what kinds of businesses to welcome and how much to invest in public transit can have a significant impact on community health.  

• Create incentive programs to encourage the establishment of retail grocery stores in underserved areas, improve food offerings in corner and convenience stores, and start and sustain farmers’ markets.
• Adopt policies and guidelines to promote the use of healthy foods and beverages for local government-sponsored events.  
• Support community groups and individual farmers in acquiring needed technology to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer, debit and credit purchases at farmers’ markets and other similar venues.
• Limit the marketing of unhealthy foods surrounding schools, parks and other locations where children gather.
• Promote the availability and consumption of healthy foods in government-owned buildings and on community property—for example, replacing candy bars in park vending machines with healthier snacks.
• Require fast-food and chain restaurants to include, at a minimum, calorie information on in-store menus and menu boards.
• Offer incentives for restaurants that increase offerings of healthier foods on menus.

The Industry

The food and beverage industry—which includes food manufacturers, retailers and restaurants—has a direct impact on the foods and beverages we consume.  The industry’s impact on consumption is so significant that it’s difficult to imagine how we could reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015 without working together.   

• Develop new and reformulate existing products to reduce sugar, fat and salt content.
• Promote innovative packaging and marketing strategies to encourage consumers to purchase healthy foods and beverages.
• Promote healthy options in restaurants and fast-food establishments by reducing or eliminating fried foods; offering more fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products; eliminating supersized meal “bargains;” offering affordable and reasonably sized portions; and making healthier items the standard for children’s meals.
• Allocate more shelf space at retail food stores for healthier food and beverage items; place healthy items at eye level on shelves, in other prime display spaces and in the check-out aisles; and provide for “no-candy” checkout lanes.
• Eliminate marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children through television and other advertisements, as well as non-traditional marketing techniques, such as product placements, toy and entertainment tie-ins, and contests and games.
• Assure that marketing practices on the Internet, television, in motion pictures and electronic gaming support healthy food and beverage choices - for example, using licensed characters to promote only healthy options.

Schools and Child-Care Settings

Involvement from schools and child-care providers is crucial to any comprehensive effort to improve food environments.  These institutions can make a significant contribution to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic by enacting policies that promote the availability and consumption of nutritious foods and beverages and by teaching healthy habits that can last a lifetime.   

• Provide healthy school meals (and child-care meals and snacks) that meet or exceed the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Develop strong nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold or available outside of the school meal programs, such as those sold in vending machines, school stores and à la carte in the cafeteria, as well as those available in pre-school and after-school programs and child-care settings.
• Establish policies for snacks, parties, school celebrations, classroom rewards and fundraisers that promote healthy foods and beverages during school hours, in after-school programs and in child-care settings.
• Create permanent school and child-care wellness councils to establish, implement and monitor school- and child care-based wellness policies that promote healthy foods and beverages.
• Apply federal economic stimulus funds and other resources to upgrade kitchen facilities so healthier foods can be stored, prepared and served on-site.
• Ensure that mechanisms are in place to identify children who are eligible for federal nutrition assistance programs to optimize participation.  

Community- and Faith-based Organizations

Community organizations have an important role to play by working to raise awareness about the importance of healthy food environments and promoting strategies to increase the consumption of healthy foods and beverages.  

• Increase the availability of healthy foods and beverages at sites owned or managed by community- and faith-based organizations, including worship centers, worksites and recreational spaces.
• Provide healthy foods and beverages in age-appropriate portion sizes at sponsored events.
• Adopt policies for vending machines and other on-site food sales to reinforce consumption of healthy foods and beverages.
• Use available resources, such as volunteer labor, to support local farm-to-market supply sources so all residents have access to healthy foods and beverages.

Next page... ( Increasing physical activity )