The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) and the Public Health Law Program working side-by-side with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Society for Law, Medicine, and Ethics jointly convened the 2008 National Summit on Legal Preparedness for Obesity Prevention and Control (Summit). The Summit was held on June 18-20, 2008 and focused on the legal issues that affect, both directly and indirectly, nutritional habits and physical inactivity that contribute to the public health epidemic of obesity.

The purpose of the Summit was to develop a shared national agenda of practical steps that sectors and partners can consider implementing to understand and improve the contribution laws and legal authorities make to improving health by preventing and reducing obesity. To achieve this goal, CDC convened key stakeholders and decision makers from relevant sectors to engage in a structured, participatory process to assess the current status of laws and legal authorities associated with obesity prevention and control. Participants identified significant gaps in knowledge, policy, competencies, coordination, and best practices. The ultimate goal of the Summit will include publishing a shared national agenda of practical steps in a supplemental edition of the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics.

The Summit program focused on both legal and programmatic issues related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. Poor nutritional habits and physical inactivity are the two principal risk factors for obesity. These two risk factors are both directly and indirectly affected by laws and legal authorities at all levels of government. Laws and legal authorities have a significant impact on the foods we eat, our knowledge of the nutritional value, and our level of daily activity. For example, current laws subsidize specific crops, create farmland through zoning, require fast food menu labeling and food labeling, impact the school breakfast and lunch program, promote the use of public transportation, and affect our children’s exposure to advertising.

The links below provide a ready source of information and sources related to the Summit.