In a novel study we compared the impact of increasing and decreasing the number of slots containing healthier and less-healthy options in vending machines in one English hospital. We were interested in the impact on snacks and cold drinks selected.

Reducing the proportion of less healthy cold drinks from 25% to 5% of slots halved the energy purchased from drinks, suggesting this is a promising strategy for encouraging healthier drink selections.

Read the findings of the study in full here