Changing our food environments, by making certain foods less available or less convenient to access, may be one way of reducing how much we select, purchase or eat. Until now, the possible impact of such changes has not been known. 
We conducted a Cochrane Review to assess whether altering the availability (the range of options) or proximity (the distance at which they are positioned) of food products changes how much they are selected (such as purchased) or consumed. We searched for all available evidence from randomised controlled trials, and found 24 studies, including more than 3000 participants, all on food. We also searched for studies of alcohol and tobacco products but none were found.
This review provides the most conclusive evidence to date that people select less of a type or range of food when there are fewer different options of that food available to choose from. For example, people select fewer unhealthy products from vending machines or in cafeterias when there are fewer unhealthy options available. The results are less clear on how this affects the amount of food that is actually consumed. This review also provides the most conclusive evidence to date that people consistently consume less of a food when it is placed further away than when it is nearer to them, although effects on selection are very unclear. The certainty of this evidence is low or very low but it suggests that consumption of unhealthy foods could be reduced by changing our food environments by i) reducing the the number of options available e.g. reducing the range of unhealthy foods in vending machines or on restaurant menus, or ii) moving less healthy products to less convenient locations e.g. away from supermarket checkouts.
To read the findings of the study in full, click here.
Hollands, G.J., Carter, P., Anwer, S., King, S.E., Jebb, S.A., Ogilvie, D., Shemilt, I., Higgins, J.P.T., Marteau, T.M. (2019). Altering the availability or proximity of food, alcohol and tobacco products to change their selection and consumption. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; 8:CD012573.
