ABSTRACT

Evidence shows citizens benefit from encouragement and guidelines to eat healthy and support to be physically active. Fostering conditions for high-quality, healthy lives involves action on the part of individuals and families, communities, health services, businesses, and governments. While some government policies, like recent food guides, help to address some of this, many neoliberal government policies and practices along with free-market forces may undermine healthy eating and community health by contributing to obesogenic environments. When guided by the best available evidence governments can rationalize investing in healthy eating policies. These strategies might include suitable zoning and planning for healthier food environments and green infrastructure and protection of natural areas, active transportation systems, and space for community connections. Achieving public health goals requires coherence in government policies and regulation of business practices to increase availability of and access to healthy food environments. Ensuring healthy foods in healthy food environments could afford positive social benefits. Examples of active living environments and plant-based food policies and practices are explored in medical schools and other settings.