e-newsletter
 vol. 1 (2), spring 2014
Drinking Water in Schools
 
More than 85% of U.S. public elementary & secondary school students attend schools that meet new federal requirements for providing free drinking water at lunch.
 
Listen to an interview with study authors and see the brief [PDF] and study to learn more about students'access to drinking water.
 
 
Soda Taxes & Employment

Contrary to beverage industry claims, BTG found that a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) would have no significant impact on employment.
 
For the details on our study, supported by Healthy Eating Research, see the research brief [PDF] and the paper in the American Journal of Public Health.
 
 
Active Commuting to School
 
60% more students walk or bike to school at elementary schools that participate in Safe Routes to School programs.
 
See how Safe Routes to School programs have grown over the past seven years in BTG's research brief [PDF].
 
 
Policies to Promote Active Living
 
Local zoning codes and land-use policies that promote physical activity are more commonly found in higher-income communities than in lower-income communities.
 
BTG's Emily Thrun discussed new research at the Active Living Research conference in March 2014. Learn about other zoning-related disparities by viewing her presentation slides [PDF].
 
 
State Obesity-Related Policies
  
Check out our new State Obesity-Related Policies page for resources on state laws for wellness policies and school snack foods & beverages, including downloadable data and codebooks.
 
We have also updated our Beverage & Snack Taxes page for 2014. There you will find updated state-by-state data, fact sheets, and maps of soda taxes as well as new resources for bottled water taxes.
 
 
 
Bridging the Gap is a nationally recognized research program dedicated to improving the  
understanding of how policies and environmental factors influence diet, physical activity and  
obesity among youth, as well as youth tobacco use. For more information, visit  
 
A program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.