Access to affordable, healthy food is fundamental to helping children and families lead healthy lives. Numerous policies and systems shape what foods are available in our communities and how much it costs. The nation’s agricultural policies, driven largely by the Farm Bill, help guide how much and what kind of food we produce. Distribution decisions formed by food and beverage companies influence where certain foods and beverages are available, and where they are not. Marketing and pricing efforts by these companies influence who is able to purchase certain goods.
All of these overlapping policies and systems ultimately shape what children and families eat and drink. So they have a considerable impact on health. Currently most of these policies and systems are created without health in mind. They’re driven by subsidies, costs, and other market forces. If instead we shaped our food systems with the acknowledgement of how they influence health, we could better support health for everyone.
Many researchers, local leaders, and policy experts are working to make these shifts. By aligning our food systems to support health, we can reduce the risks for obesity and other chronic diseases.
