Financial incentives to promote healthier diet

Food and drink prices may affect our purchases, consumption and various health-related behaviours. The low cost of energy-dense foods and relatively high cost (per calorie) of fruits and vegetables are important reasons why people living in lower-income households generally consume a diet higher in saturated fats and sugars and lower in fruits and vegetables. However, predicting the impact on behaviour and food choice of changing the price of specific food or drink products can be complex. Furthermore, unintended consequences need careful consideration, such as the degree to which people may replace some foods with more unhealthy foods. A good example of how to predict behaviour change is provided by research carried out to estimate the impact of a levy (tax) on sugary drinks in Mexico and the UK. This chapter reviews the evidence on whether increasing the cost of unhealthy foods and decreasing the cost of healthier foods would result in changes to purchases, better quality diets and improved health, and concludes by examining the political acceptability and future prospects of such measures.