Obesity — The New Frontier of Public Health Law

Abstract

The law is now firmly established as a powerful instrument of public health.¹ Some of the most important public health victories in the United States in the past century — declining lead exposure, reduced rates of smoking, improvements in workplace and motor vehicle safety, and increased vaccination rates — are the result of new legislation, heightened regulatory enforcement, litigation, or a combination of the three.^2-4 With each victory, confidence mounts in the capacity of legal tools to be used in combating serious health threats.