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Improving Laws and Legal Authorities for Obesity Prevention and Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Jennifer L. Pomeranz  and
Lawrence O. Gostin
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Extract

This paper is one of four interrelated action papers resulting from the 2008 National Summit on Legal Preparedness for Obesity Prevention and Control. Summit participants engaged in discussions on the current state of the law with respect to obesity, nutrition and food policy, physical activity, and physical education. Participants also identified gaps in the law at all jurisdictional levels and relevant to numerous sectors and disciplines that have a stake in obesity prevention and control.

The companion paper, “Assessment of Laws and Legal Authorities for Obesity Prevention and Control,”identified numerous laws and policies enacted to target the three domains of healthy lifestyles, healthy places, and healthy societies. That paper identified several gaps in the law that require attention and action. This paper addresses those gaps and presents applicable laws and legal authorities that public health professionals and lawyers can consider to implement to close the gaps.

Type
JLME Supplement
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 37 , Issue S1 , Summer 2009 , pp. 62 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2009

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