Stores that accept food stamps should be required to have less junk food and more produce

The Agriculture Department should simply require that stores that accept food stamps use more of their shelf space — say, a minimum of 20 feet — for healthy foods. And it should set a limit on the use of shelf space for displaying junk food, perhaps with a simple rule of no more space for junk than for fruits and vegetables. This plan would put nutritious food within sight and reach.

While some will argue that stores simply allocate shelf space to meet customer demand, every store manager knows that the way shelves are stocked strongly influences what customers buy on impulse. Even when we have a shopping list, we buy items we simply bump into: Surveys show that 60 percent of purchases in grocery stores are unplanned.

This “bump into” effect is especially strong for healthy food. Two different studies found that doubling the length of shelf space for fruits and vegetables increased sales by 30 to 60 percent. Americans on average consume only about half of the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, and studies suggest that a 50 percent increase in consumption would lead to a 15 percent decrease in heart disease.