Application of Law to the Childhood Obesity Epidemic
Northeastern University Public Law & Legal Theory Research Paper No. 17-2007
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Spring 2007
24 Pages Posted: 3 Apr 2007
Abstract
Childhood obesity is in important respects a result of legal policies that influence both dietary intake and physical activity. The law must shift focus away from individual risk factors alone and seek instead to promote situational and environmental influences that create an atmosphere conducive to health. To attain this goal, advocates should embrace a population-wide model of public health, and policymakers must critically examine the fashionable rhetoric of consumer choice.
Keywords: law, obesity, childhood, public health, marketing, food, diet, first amendment
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