Food choices and public policy

Rachel Griffith explains the significance of her research, which was funded through the European Research Council.

Policies to reduce purchases of unhealthy foods

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980, and that most of the world’s population now live in countries where obesity and being overweight are responsible for more deaths than being underweight. Governments around the world are grappling with how to tackle rising rates of obesity and non-communicable disease, and a range of policies have been implemented with this in mind, including taxes on soft drinks or other foods, labels to inform consumers about the nutritional content of products, encouraging the reformulation of food products, and restrictions to advertising junk foods.

The full article can be accessed on the website of the British Academy.