New Report Strives to Advance Better Health Outcomes through Evidence-Based Laws and Health Policies

Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project launches new series with first report focused on nutrition and weight status

Today, the Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project, a collaboration between the CDC Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released the first of a series of evidence-based reports. The report highlights the state of laws and policies related to the Healthy People nutrition and weight status topic area, specifically increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables. The project was launched by the CDC Foundation in 2014 with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

“We are grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for their vision to support the use of reports like these to increase awareness of how using evidence can lead to stronger laws aimed at improving the health of people throughout our nation,” said Judith Monroe, MD, president and chief executive officer of the CDC Foundation. “We are pleased to bring a diverse group of individuals and organizations together to empower people toward making informed health decisions.”

Healthy People 2020 is a national initiative supported by the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion that provides science-based, 10-year objectives to improve the health of all Americans. Healthy People 2020 serves as a tool for the federal government, states, communities and many other public- and private-sector partners to use in setting strategies to address health challenges and improve health. 

The Law and Health Policy Project explores legal and policy strategies for meeting Healthy People 2020 goals and objectives. This project is supported by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the CDC Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

“At HHS, evidence-based health policy is central to our efforts to protect the Nation’s health,” said ADM Brett P. Giroir, HHS assistant secretary for health. “The Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project advances our understanding of how laws and policies can promote public health. We are pleased to work with our partners on the first report, which identifies innovative strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable intake.”

Good nutrition is a significant challenge for many Americans. Only one in ten American adults eat the recommended amount of fruits or vegetables each day. In addition, there are significant disparities in access to fruits and vegetables by race, ethnicity, geography and socio-economic status. This report provides law and policy strategies that decision-makers, public health professionals, educators, and others can use to increase the supply of, access to, and consumer demand for fruits and vegetables, especially in underserved communities.

The report is available on HealthyPeople.gov. Additional resources will be added in the coming months that will highlight real life examples of communities, tribes and states leveraging laws and policies to improve health and wellbeing in their jurisdictions. The project partners will host a webinar on the report on September 27, 2018, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET. Those interested in participating in the webinar can register at HealthyPeople.gov. 

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.  Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.