B5 Food and nutrition policies and consumer health

SP B5 analyze the role and effectiveness of different policy instruments to promote healthy nutrition. Policymakers are increasingly concerned about rising rates of obesity that are associated with modern food systems. While fat and sugar taxes, nutrition labels, nudges, boosting, and other policy interventions were recently established in several high- and middle-income countries, there is still considerable debate about the appropriate instruments and their effectiveness. We will review and synthesize the available literature on health effects of food and nutrition policies. Furthermore, we will analyze specific questions related to the public acceptance of food and nutrition policies.

Possible dissertation topics:


  • Interactions between nutrition and sustainability labels in influencing consumer food choices and health
  • Acceptance of nutrition policies and effects on consumer health: International comparisons
  • Information processing modes, health halo effects, and healthy food choices

  • Principal investigators/supervisors:

    Yasemin Boztug
    Achim Spiller

    Doctoral researcher of the first cohort:

    Simone Wahnschafft