High fat diets are widespread in the US and contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. Adolescents are a key target group for intervention due to their high fat intake and because of the potential for long-term behavior change that would potentially impact chronic disease risk later in life. Vending machines, a la carte and fast food comprise an increasing share of the total food energy consumed by students at school. Yet these food sources have been virtually ignored in school-based nutrition intervention research. The proposed study will advance the research in this area by conducting a multi- component intervention that targets the total food environment in high schools. Modifications in the school vending machines, a la carte areas and fast food will be examined for their effects on dietary fat intake in adolescents. The present study will randomize 20 secondary schools to intervention or control for a two year period. The intervention consists of making more low fat foods available in the school a la carte areas, fast foods, and vending machines. A second intervention component will involve inviting a student group to promote low fat food choices on a school wide basis. The group will receive financial incentives from the study based on sales volume of low fat foods in the a la carte and vending machines. During the second intervention year, prices of low fat foods will be lowered to promote student purchase of low fat foods. Fat intake among a cross section of 1000 students (50 per school) will be measured at baseline, spring of intervention year 1 and spring of intervention year 2. Sales of low and high fat foods in vending machines and a la caret school food service areas will be continuously measured. It is hypothesized that dietary fat intake will decrease and sales of low fat foods will increase in intervention schools relative to control schools.
