Marketing foods and beverages in schools: The effect of school food policy on students' overweight measures

Beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year, the U.S. government required that all federally funded schools have local wellness policies to promote healthful living and reduce obesity among their students; however, little evidence exists on which school food policies are effective. This article finds evidence that prohibiting à la carte junk food sales during meals reduces the likelihood that students will be overweight or obese by 18 percentage points. The data are merged student-parent-school survey responses collected from a small sample of schools in one Great Plains state. The estimation controls for students' activity levels, genetics, and socioeconomic factors; parents' activity levels and attitudes; and the overall mix of school marketing policies that promote healthful eating and drinking habits. The results indicate that banning à Ia carte junk food sales is a potentially effective policy to reduce the likelihood of students being overweight and obese.