Every day we hear more devastating news about the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States. One in five preschoolers is obese, pediatricians see an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes among obese children, and researchers are finding 10-year-olds with cardiovascular systems that resemble those of 45-year-olds.
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| Healthy mobile vendors, also known as fruteros, in Oakland, California. Photo by Lydia Daniller. Used with permission of NPLAN. |
How do we, as public health professionals, reverse these alarming trends? As members of this APHA section, you are certainly aware of the power of policy to improve health. In New York City, a healthy mobile vending policy is promoting access to healthy foods in under-served communities. Towns and cities across the country are adopting Complete Streets policies, which help create streets that are safe for pedestrians and cyclists. These are just some of the ways communities around the country are using public health policy to promote healthy eating and active living and, ultimately, reduce obesity rates.
The National Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN) provides legal technical assistance focused on childhood obesity prevention policy. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as part of its historic $500 million commitment to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015, NPLAN provides communities with the resources to craft solid public health policies.
NPLAN develops free model policies, such as local ordinances and contracts, that communities and schools can adopt in order to improve health. For example, NPLAN has developed model menu labeling ordinances, requiring chain restaurants to post calorie and other nutrition information on menus. We can provide local or state attorneys with legal research that can serve as the foundation for strong public health policies. Our staff attorneys can answer legal questions from advocates, government attorneys, and public health officials about adopting these policies. Finally, while we can provide general legal information about public health policy, we cannot provide legal advice or form an attorney-client relationship.
We are constantly adding new legal and policy resources to our Web site, so check it out.
By Christine R. Fry, MPP, Program Coordinator, Public Health Law & Policy, cfry@phlpnet.org