Cross-Sector Policies for Achieving Equitable Obesity Prevention and Food Security: A Review of Real-World Actions

This narrative review examines how government sectors beyond health contribute to the dual goals of equitable obesity prevention and food security through structural, cross‑sector policies. It aimed to synthesise real‑world evidence on the design, implementation and diet‑related impacts of policies across social, education, economic, trade and agricultural, and legal domains.

Emerging insights highlight the need for further evaluation of how income supports contribute to diet-related health; the expansion of school meal programs given their multiple co-benefits; the feasibility and impacts of adopting health-promoting taxes that generate public revenue for equity-focused initiatives; how agricultural supports can be repurposed to improve local and equitable food access; and the use of legal instruments to hold food industries accountable and advance public health interests. Coordinated, equitable progress on obesity prevention and food security will require enhanced policy coherence, effective accountability mechanisms, better data on diet and equity outcomes for cross-sector policies, and political commitment to overcome siloed and often unbalanced decision-making processes.