Click here for more information about the April 28, 2009 call.
CDC’s Public Health Law Program has developed this new, foundational course on public
health law as a learning resource for public health practitioners, students, and
others.
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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.
Documents and References from the Summit
Obesity Prevention
and Control Legal Bibliography
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