There are many ways your organization can create a healthy beverage environment. These range from educating employees and clients, to increasing the number of healthy beverages in the facility or office, to completely eliminating the sale and provision of unhealthy beverages. Each organization’s approach may be different. One way to categorize policy approaches towards creating a healthy environment is through MAPPS strategies: Media, Access, Point of Purchase, Pricing, and Social Supports.
Use Media to promote healthy drinks and tap water; restrict sugar-sweetened beverage advertising and employ counter-advertising on the health effects of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
Increase Access to healthy drinks and tap water; reduce the availability unhealthy drinks. This can be accomplished in retail venues, vending machines, cafeterias, meetings, and more.
Using Point of Decision labeling or signage to discourage consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and promote healthier choices and to give consumers nutrition information about their choices. To download the “stoplight” point of decision signage click here
Use Price to discourage consumption of unhealthy drinks and make it easier to purchase healthier options like seltzer and bottled water by making these healthy drinks relatively cheaper.
Use Social support/services to promote increased activity at the workplace, such as organizing walking groups or promoting taking the stairs, as part of a comprehensive plan to a healthier workplace.
Healthy Beverage Tool Kit
For more information about how your organization can create healthier beverage environments, download our Sugar-sweetened Beverage organizational tool kit and appendix.