Monitoring and benchmarking government policies and actions to improve the healthiness of food environment Policy Index
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Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons
Abstract
Government action is essential to increase the healthiness of food environments
and reduce obesity, diet-related non-communicable diseases
(NCDs), and their related inequalities. This paper proposes a monitoring
framework to assess government policies and actions for creating healthy
food environments. Recommendations from relevant authoritative
organizations and expert advisory groups for reducing obesity and NCDs
were examined, and pertinent components were incorporated into a
comprehensive framework for monitoring government policies and
actions. A Government Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-
EPI) was developed, which comprises a ‘policy’ component with seven
domains on specific aspects of food environments, and an ‘infrastructure
support’ component with seven domains to strengthen systems to prevent
obesity and NCDs. These were revised through a week-long consultation
process with international experts. Examples of good practice statements
are proposed within each domain, and these will evolve into benchmarks
established by governments at the forefront of creating and implementing
food policies for good health. A rating process is proposed to assess a
government’s level of policy implementation towards good practice. The
Food-EPI will be pre-tested and piloted in countries of varying size and
income levels. The benchmarking of government policy implementation
has the potential to catalyse greater action to reduce obesity and NCDs.
Description
Keywords
Government policies, INFORMAS, Non-communicable diseases, Obesity prevention
Citation
Swinburn, B. et al. (2013). Monitoring and benchmarking government policies and actions to improve the healthiness of food environment Policy Index. Obesity Review, 14 (1): 24–37