A PEN systematic scoping review on simulation modeling for the economic evaluation of population-based dietary policies is now published!

In this paper PEN collaborators from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the LMU Munich review simulation modeling methods for the evaluation of population-level dietary policies. Simulation methods are useful to estimate the long-term health and economic impacts of dietary policies, compare different policy options and therefore inform stakeholders. The review gives an overview of diverse applications of simulation models evaluating often discussed dietary policies such as taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages and reformulation of processed foods to reduce salt intake. A specific emphasis was put on the structural assumptions of the applied modeling methods, an assessment of their methodological limitations and contextual aspects.