The Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) team at the Harvard Prevention Research Center has just released a new study highlighting the importance of prioritizing primary prevention for policy makers aiming to reduce childhood obesity. The study finds:  soda tax prevents 576k cases of childhood obesity, save >$14b;  elim tax break on junkfood ads prevents >129k childhood obesity cases, save $260m;  school snacks nutrition stnds prevent 345k cases of childhood obesity save $792m; calorie labeling could prevent >41k cases of childhood obesity, could save $4.7b; that the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act one of most important obesity prevention achievements 

 

The paper, published in Health Affairs, identifies three interventions that would more than pay for themselves by reducing healthcare costs related to obesity: an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages; elimination of the tax subsidy for advertising unhealthy food to children; and nutrition standards for food and drinks sold in schools outside of school meals. The study also underscores the importance of maintaining policies already in place. Improvements in school meal nutrition standards and current Smart Snacks regulation make the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 one of the most important national obesity prevention policy achievements in recent decades.

 

Ongoing updates, research, downloadable articles, and further details can be found at choicesproject.org/

 

Link to Landing Page: http://choicesproject.org/publications/cost-effective-nutrition-interventions-health-affairs-summary