Legal strategies in childhood obesity prevention : workshop summary / Lynn Parker [and others], repporteurs ; Standing Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
Introduction -- Legal approaches in other areas -- Actions by federal agencies: a focus on foods and beverages -- Perspectives from the food industry -- Using regulations and taxes to prevent obesity -- Using the law to increase physical activity -- Using litigation to change policies and practices -- Other state and local obesity prevention strategies -- Closing remarks
Summary
"When public health campaigns to buckle up or quit smoking were unsuccessful, legal strategies -- such as fines for not wearing a seatbelt and restrictions on where smoking could occur -- were used to reduce the number of health issues, injuries, and deaths caused by these behaviors. Childhood obesity is another health concern that remains a substantial problem in the U.S. Could legal restrictions and regulations also help combat childhood obesity? IOM held a workshop October 21, 2010, to bring together stakeholders to discuss the current and future legal strategies aimed at combating childhood obesity."--Publisher's description
