Obesity: Should there be laws about it? Ten priorities for law in contributing to obesity prevention goals

Obesity: should there be laws about it? Ten priorities for law in contributing to obesity prevention goals

Background

Rates of overweight and obesity among adults and children in the United States are rising steadily. An inter-disciplinary approach is vital if we are to make an impact on this inter-generational challenge. Law is an important partner in the prevention of obesity and other risk factors for chronic disease, particularly when it aims to create supportive environments that will encourage healthier lifestyles.

Methodology

A “population health” approach to obesity prevention gives priority to interventions that address the economic, environmental and social determinants of weight gain. One advantage of this approach is its capacity to address risk factors to which entire populations are exposed, as distinct from the causes of weight gain in individuals.

Results

This paper identifies the contribution that legal and regulatory strategies could make to ten priority goals for the prevention of population weight gain and other nutrition-related risk factors for chronic disease. These goals variously address the role of governments, setting-specific policies in schools, businesses and government agencies, individual empowerment through information strategies, private investment in workplace-based health promotion, legal pathways to the creation of healthier local environments, as well as harm reduction policies directed towards the food industry.

Discussion and significance

“Privatizing” the obesity epidemic, confining it to the health care setting, and emphasising personal responsibility to the exclusion of population-wide interventions, will do little to reverse population weight trends. Contrary to misconceptions, law has much to offer, without victimizing people, and consistent with civil liberties.