title: The effects of policy actions to improve population dietary patterns and prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases: scoping review.
abstract: Poor diet generates a bigger non-communicable disease (NCD) burden than tobacco, alcohol and physical inactivity combined. We reviewed the potential effectiveness of policy actions to improve healthy food consumption and thus prevent NCDs. This scoping review focused on systematic and non-systematic reviews and categorised data using a seven-part framework: price, promotion, provision, composition, labelling, supply chain, trade/investment and multi-component interventions. We screened 1805 candidate publications and included 58 systematic and non-systematic reviews. Multi-component and price interventions appeared consistently powerful in improving healthy eating. Reformulation to reduce industrial trans fat intake also seemed very effective. Evidence on food supply chain, trade and investment studies was limited and merits further research. Food labelling and restrictions on provision or marketing of unhealthy foods were generally less effective with uncertain sustainability. Increasingly strong evidence is highlighting potentially powerful policies to improve diet and thus prevent NCDs, notably multi-component interventions, taxes, subsidies, elimination and perhaps trade agreements. The implications for policy makers are becoming clearer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hyseni
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bromley
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orton
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lloyd-Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Policy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capewell
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000191:economics*; D005504:Food Analysis; D005515:Food Labeling; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D015438:Health Behavior; D006289:Health Planning Support / Q000191:economics*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D040541:Marketing; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D000073296:Noncommunicable Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018673:Nutrition Policy / Q000191:economics*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic