Creating a Healthy Food Zone Around Schools

ChangeLab Solutions developed this fact sheet to help communities limit children’s access to the kinds of foods most likely to contribute to childhood obesity.

Many schools are surrounded by fast food restaurants, which provide students with easy access to unhealthy foods and undermine schools’ efforts to offer nutritious meals. Prohibiting fast food restaurants and mobile food vendors from locating near schools is one strategy to help reduce childhood obesity and support schools striving to improve students’ health.

This fact sheet answers common questions about the Model Healthy Food Zone Ordinance, which creates a healthy food zone by restricting fast food restaurants near schools or other areas children are likely to frequent.