1
Public Health Laws and Ethical Implications
Name
Institutional Affiliation
, 2
Public Health Laws and Ethical Implications
Obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths in America. Obesity rates began rising
in the early 20th century, but the trend took off in the 1980s. Childhood obesity rates were low
and stable among individuals born between the 1930 and early 1970s, but they rose rapidly in the
80s and 90s (Loeb, 2009). During this period, the rate of obesity in the U.S. doubled from 15.1
percent to 30.9 percent in 2000, causing 400,000 deaths in 2000 and a 3 percent increase in
obesity-related deaths since 1990 (Loeb, 2009). While these statistics reflect adult obesity, it
implicates childhood obesity since the condition is not a benign one that most youths outgrow.
The trend prompted the U.S. Surgeon General to raise concerns about the growing obesity
epidemic. Since obesity has long been linked with unhealthy eating habits, anti-obesity advocates
proposed policies for protecting children from unhealthy foods, including banning junk foods
from schools. As a result of the ballooning obesity epidemic, Congress in 2004 passed the
Children Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. The law was to be implemented at the national
level in schools by providing healthy meals for free or at a subsidized cost and physical activity
education for obesity prevention.
The Children Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act
The Children Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act targeted schools in the attempt to
prevent obesity in children thus. The regulation required schools with National School Lunch
Act (NSLA) meals to adopt local wellness policies to advance the health of children. The NSLA
was a nonprofit school lunch program established in 1946 by Richard Russell to supplement
school-going children’s nutrition (Graber et al., 2012). The first Congress attempted to amend
the NSLA to make nutritious food choices, increase nutrition education, and supplement physical
activity mandatory components of the NSLP. Therefore, section 111 of the Reauthorization Act
Public Health Laws and Ethical Implications
Name
Institutional Affiliation
, 2
Public Health Laws and Ethical Implications
Obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths in America. Obesity rates began rising
in the early 20th century, but the trend took off in the 1980s. Childhood obesity rates were low
and stable among individuals born between the 1930 and early 1970s, but they rose rapidly in the
80s and 90s (Loeb, 2009). During this period, the rate of obesity in the U.S. doubled from 15.1
percent to 30.9 percent in 2000, causing 400,000 deaths in 2000 and a 3 percent increase in
obesity-related deaths since 1990 (Loeb, 2009). While these statistics reflect adult obesity, it
implicates childhood obesity since the condition is not a benign one that most youths outgrow.
The trend prompted the U.S. Surgeon General to raise concerns about the growing obesity
epidemic. Since obesity has long been linked with unhealthy eating habits, anti-obesity advocates
proposed policies for protecting children from unhealthy foods, including banning junk foods
from schools. As a result of the ballooning obesity epidemic, Congress in 2004 passed the
Children Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. The law was to be implemented at the national
level in schools by providing healthy meals for free or at a subsidized cost and physical activity
education for obesity prevention.
The Children Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act
The Children Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act targeted schools in the attempt to
prevent obesity in children thus. The regulation required schools with National School Lunch
Act (NSLA) meals to adopt local wellness policies to advance the health of children. The NSLA
was a nonprofit school lunch program established in 1946 by Richard Russell to supplement
school-going children’s nutrition (Graber et al., 2012). The first Congress attempted to amend
the NSLA to make nutritious food choices, increase nutrition education, and supplement physical
activity mandatory components of the NSLP. Therefore, section 111 of the Reauthorization Act
