Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

112 Strategies
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School fundraiser restrictions

Prohibit the sale of unhealthy foods such as sugar sweetened beverages, candy, and other non-nutritious snacks at school fundraisers, often as part of a broader nutrition policy
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

School nutrition standards

Regulate the quality of food that can be sold to students through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), à la carte options, vending machines, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

School-based nutrition education programs

Address nutrition in schools via educational (e.g., classroom or curricula-wide efforts, peer training, etc.), environmental (e.g., school menus, classroom snacks, etc.), and other approaches
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

School-based physical education enhancements

Expand or enhance school-based physical education (PE) by lengthening existing classes, increasing physical activity during class, adding new PE classes, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Screen time interventions for children

Encourage children to spend time away from TV and other stationary screen media, often as part of a multi-faceted effort to increase physical activity and improve nutrition
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Seller & server minimum age

Require a minimum age for sellers in off-premise locations that sell alcohol and servers and bartenders in on-premise locations
Evidence Rating:
Insufficient Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Shared use agreements

Create contracts that support community access to existing public, private, or nonprofit facilities before or after business hours; also called joint use, open use, or community use agreements
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Civic and community resources

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Social host laws

Adopt laws that hold private property owners who provide alcohol to minors or obviously intoxicated individuals on their property liable if someone is killed or injured as a result
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Soda taxes

Increase the price of sugar sweetened beverages (e.g., soda) by adding an excise or sales tax
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies