by: Gowri Sunil
Local Editor

According to an ABC News article, stores carefully design layouts, like aisles and shelves, to influence shoppers’ choices. Milk and meat are placed at the very back, forcing shoppers to pass a multitude of other products before reaching the section. Additionally, tactics like positioning products at children’s eye level and cross merchandising, which involves shelving items of different categories together, both contribute significantly to impulsive buying. All of this happens before the checkout line, at which point exhaustion makes shoppers vulnerable to a quick snack from the checkout area. While some argue customers are in full control of what they buy, the store environment still influences their choices heavily, putting public health at risk.

To prevent the exacerbation of longstanding diet concerns like obesity and diabetes, government officials must intervene. In the U.S., from 2021 to 2023, 40.3% of adults faced obesity, and as of 2026, 40.1 million people have diabetes. Historically, the government has intervened in similar cases such as tobacco, alcohol, and school lunch epidemics. Furthermore, as the government oversees the FDA, which regulates what food can be sold, it should also decide where the unhealthier items can be shelved in stores.

Such a policy was enacted in Berkeley in 2021 through its Healthy Checkout Ordinance, which replaced candy and sugary drinks for water, seeds, and fruits. A UC Davis study found that within a year, the policy led to a drop in checkout line purchases by 70%. Additionally purchases of sodium beverages lowered by 53%, while saturated fats and calories from food and drinks lowered by 41% and 27% respectively. Alongside these reductions, there was also an increase of fibers per serving by 47%. Programs in Great Britain have found similar results in impulse purchases of unhealthy items, indicating that healthier checkout options improve nutrition without restricting shopper’s choices, as there are still separate aisles for candy, sodas, and more.

Currently, junk food at checkout lines is more than a harmless temptation and poses a serious risk to society’s health. Clever store layouts and shelving paired with shoppers’ fatigue leads to unnecessary buys. Yet, there is hope in programs like in Berkeley and Great Britain, which replaced common sugary snacks for healthier alternatives. By implementing these programs nationwide under government guidance, checkout lanes encourage better health choices and well-being of families across the country.

(Sources: ABC News, CDC, National Library of Medicine, UC Davis)