Ending childhood obesity: Introducing the issues and the legal challenge

Abstract

The introductory chapter sets the scene in the field of childhood obesity prevention, addressing the global rise of this ever more acute public health challenge and the response to date at national and international levels. The nature and importance of the specific legal challenges involved in childhood obesity prevention are sketched out, providing a coherent conceptual backdrop to the book as a whole. Finally, the structure of the book is explained, and the individual chapters are outlined. The book is intended to complement, combine and drive forward existing literature on the relationship between obesity prevention and international economic law, on the one hand, and obesity prevention and human rights law, on the other. It contributes to ongoing efforts to build legal capacity to address childhood obesity more specifically, hopefully aiding increased and more productive communication between legal and public health professionals and other actors in this important field.