Community Food Environments

• Published in: Transforming Food Environments pp. 127 - 142
• Main Authors: Caswell, Susan M., Allman-Farinelli, Margaret A., Olstad, Dana L., Naylor, Patti-Jean
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom CRC Press 2022; Taylor & Francis Group
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Socioeconomic Inequities; Unhealthy Food; Influence Brand Preferences; Government Level Policy; Community Food Environments; Food Environment Research; School Food Plan; Nutrition Guidelines; Capacity Building Intervention; Live Trial; Food Environment; Nutrition Environment Measures Survey; Out-of Home Advertising; Recreation Settings; Low Household Food Security; Vending Machines; Local Food Environment; Rest Area; Healthy Food Environment; UK National Diet; Unhealthy Food Environments; Sport Facilities; HFSS Food; Overarching Barrier
• ISBN: 0367488604; 9780367488604; 9780367489663; 036748966X
• DOI: 10.1201/9781003043720-9

Food is widely available in community spaces such as recreation and sports centres and transport hubs, and these places are more likely to have concessions or vending machines that offer a higher proportion of unhealthy foods high in saturated fats, sugars and salt to the public. Among others, children and adolescents are often exposed to these unhealthy food environments. Governments at all levels play an important role in this area and can improve the food environment in public spaces through adoption of health standards for food and beverages procured and sold and by supporting implementation. Evaluations of programmes and policies demonstrating improvement in food choice are now beginning to emerge. One example included in this chapter is the evaluation of improvements in the food and beverages sold in recreation and sports centres. This chapter highlights the benefit of jurisdiction level (national, provincial or local government) and facility policy, providing implementation support strategies/capacity-building and instituting monitoring and accountability mechanisms. It also explains the challenges of changing food provision in different public spaces due to the shared responsibility of private and public organizations, a culture of unhealthy food, limited availability of palatable healthy food and beverage products and tendering.