Interventions to Get Healthier Foods and Beverages in Schools are Cost-Effective

A young girl eats an apple in her classroom.The Community Guide has conducted a systematic review of the economic evidence for an effective intervention to increase the availability of healthier foods and beverages in schools. The evidence shows meal interventions and fruit and vegetable snack interventions to be cost effective.

The systematic review of economic evidence for meal interventions and fruit and vegetable snack interventions included seven studies (four from the United States, one from Norway, one from the Netherlands, and one from Taiwan). All monetary values for both systematic reviews are reported in 2016 U.S. dollars.

Obesity now affects 1 in 6 children and adolescents in the United States (CDC, 2017). Children who have obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity (CDC, 2017), putting them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma.

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