City university of New York's system-wide campaign for healthy food policies

Background: Growing rates of obesity and diet-related diseases require effective strategies to lower this burden on our health and economy. Scientific evidence suggests that the most effective and economical approach is to create environments and policies that make it easier for individuals to make healthier choices. Purpose: Describe CUNY Campaign for Healthy Food (CHeF), a multi-level campaign to improve food policies and environments at City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university. Examine students' support for enacting policies of healthier foods on-campus. Analyze facilitators and obstacles to changing CUNY food environments. Significance: Urban universities provide a setting for enacting healthy food policies that can improve diets of racially and income diverse young adults. Methodology: CHeF assessed and reported current snack and beverage choices available on CUNY campuses in vending machines and at meetings and events. Using cross-sectional data from a representative sample, we also assessed urban university students' support for on-campus food policies. Findings: Based on these campus assessments, CHeF drafted food and beverage policy recommendations for CUNY and proposed standards for vending and meeting food. These recommendations are now in various stages of implementation. Student support of four proposed healthy food policies on-campus ranged from 53.0-89.5%. Conclusions: A majority of undergraduate students support campus policy change to incorporate healthier food options, including nutrition and calorie labeling. University-wide campaigns can contribute to making changes in collegiate food environments that most students support.