Healthy food environments in sports events

Healthy, safe, and sustainable diets are important for both human and planetary health and sports events ought to be an ideal setting to model and promote healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle. Sports events organizers have an opportunity to be the driving force for healthier food and healthier food environments at sports events by:

• improving the food offer
• setting prices to incentivize healthier food choices
• nudging to promote healthier food choices
• communicating and promoting healthier food and healthy diets
• restricting marketing of foods and beverages high in fats, sugars or salt.  

WHO calls for national and international action by a variety of stakeholders including national governments, sports organizations, athletes, private sector companies and academia to integrate these actions and create healthier food and food environments in and around sports stadia including ensuring responsible sponsorship of sports that does not undermine public health. By capitalizing on the opportunities to promote, serve, and consume healthy foods at sports events, we can help leverage the power of sports to foster better health. With their immense reach, sports mega-events can be used to positively influence the nutrition and health behaviour of a global audience.  

For more information please contact:

foodsystems@who.int