Research
Adherence
Fiscal disincentives (taxes on unhealthy foods) paired with incentives (subsidies for healthy foods) are more effective at improving population diet quality and reducing health disparities than voluntary education or labeling alone.
If you are a policymaker, prioritize taxes on sugary drinks and junk food, but use the revenue to subsidize fruits and vegetables. This approach has stronger evidence for improving health than just telling people to eat better.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In contrast to education and information, fiscal incentives and disincentives aimed at consumers, producers, and retailers have more consistent evidence of effectiveness.
Why this rating
The paper cites 'more consistent evidence of effectiveness' and references multiple studies, though it notes political difficulty.
Source
Role of government policy in nutrition—barriers to and opportunities for healthier eating
Dariush Mozaffarian et al. · BMJ · 2018
DOI 10.1136/bmj.k2426
narrative_reviewCited 493×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →