Conclusions

that these mandatory warning labels perform better than other mandated and voluntary front-of-package labels (Taillie, Hall, et al. 2020; Tallie, Reyes, et al. 2020); more research is under way as these policies become more widely implemented. Meanwhile, experimental studies show strong support for the promise they hold and the need for careful testing around the label design, size, color, placement, messaging used, and need to limit conflicting messages (Roberto et al. 2021).

Communication of the policies being considered and why there is a need for government action can also be bolstered through regional and global momentum, particularly given trading relationships. Common languages and media markets shared by countries within a region will also allow for potential crossover of mass media campaigns.

Earmarking health tax revenues to support public health

To date, no country has explicitly earmarked revenues from national-level health taxes. However, local-level taxes have been a success, revenue-wise, via the creation of local commissions comprising community leaders and public health experts. Success can also be attributed to clear governance structures and grants administration systems to determine how the health tax revenue is spent. At the national level, something similar could be done via the creation of a national public health foundation, for example, which could receive an established share of the health tax revenues from tobacco, alcohol, sweetened beverages, and unhealthy ultraprocessed foods. Thailand’s ThaiHealth provides an example of such an approach (Pongutta et al. 2019). The use of these health tax revenues can go toward the following:

• Mass media campaigns and public education of integrated policies • Healthy food incentives toward the neediest (for example, cash transfer programs) • Grants to small companies affected by the policies to help them adapt • The marketing of healthy foods

Developing a strict country-specific, nutrient-profiling model to undergird an integrated set of policies

To ensure that components of the diets that should be discouraged and those that should be encouraged are well targeted as well as consistently communicated to the public and industry, a series of well-integrated food and nutrition policies is needed. These policies will also provide a transparent and accountable way for industry to reformulate its products and innovate in ways that can be more supportive of health, so that they truly become partners with the government and health advocates. Accordingly, it is strongly recommended that a strict, evidence-based, country-specific nutrient profiling model be developed for the Saudi context (described in chapter 8).

CONCLUSIONS

This chapter reviewed obesity prevention–related strategies, objectives, and policies and considered the evidence on their effectiveness and key lessons learned. These policies include ones that are implemented, proposed, or applicable to Saudi Arabia in light of local and global evidence and experiences.