Law, Nutrition & Obesity
The law has proven an integral part of many major public health victories over the past century. Bans on smoking in public buildings, the removal of lead from paint and gasoline, and the requirement of school vaccinations are all the result of legislation and legal efforts. Today, many experts consider obesity to be the next frontier of public health law.
Among the most important subsets of obesity law are laws requiring menu labeling, those regulating marketing of non-nutritious foods to children, and the role litigation may play in addressing nutrition and obesity issues on all fronts. Special attention will be made to the protection of commercial speech, the use of compelled speech and the preemption of state and local law by federal and state law.
The Rudd Center expects many obesity-related issues will be resolved through regulation, legislation and litigation, and we are pleased to remain on the cutting edge of these legal initiatives and developments.