How effective are eating interventions?
Covering a wide range of activities, the project 'Interventions to promote healthy eating habits: Evaluation and recommendations' (EATWELL) collected data, conducted case studies, surveys and workshops, and analysed public acceptance of policy interventions. Researchers examined national-level datasets to assess the impact of interventions on consumer behaviour, and made recommendations aimed at enabling effective policy evaluation. They also outlined what and how the public sector can learn from the private sector to promote healthy eating. A study of 111 Member State nutrition policies focused on measures facilitating informed choice through information flows and education as well as market intervention measures influencing food availability and prices. Project research points to information measures being cost-effective in general and having a positive, albeit small, effect on healthy eating. Measures changing the market environment can result in significant dietary changes, but they are more intrusive than information interventions and, as such, less well accepted by the public. Despite an incomplete evidence base and few policy evaluations meeting the criteria established, EATWELL determined there is sufficient evidence for its proposed recommendations and interventions. The evidence base can be improved by providing better data and ensuring better data harmonisation across the EU. Also, a better understanding of the cognitive processes involved when informed consumers make unhealthy choices is needed. With regard to commercial food marketing, 27 case studies helped the team to identify key success factors that could be transferred to the public sector. These include increasing citizen participation, extending public–private partnerships, and promoting short-term benefits of healthy behaviour. Results of some 3 000 online interviews revealed that, for all policies, support outweighed opposition. Policies related to education in schools and labelling are the most supported, with least supported measures including the regulation of workplace meals, banning advertising to adults and banning vending machines in schools. EATWELL efforts resulted in a set of policy recommendations, data needs and evaluation methods that stand to offer a solid evidence base for improving diet and health-related policy interventions. Benefits will extend to consumer behaviour, health and economics with tailored interventions and knowledge transfer supporting intended dietary goals.
Keywords
Eating interventions, healthy eating, nutrition policy, eating habits, policy interventions, consumer behavior
