Analysis of state obesity legislation from 2001 to 2010

The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly since the 1950s. Currently, more than one-third of adults are obese. This study includes the review of 611 bills that were introduced over the past 10 years for the purpose of reducing obesity.

Bills were obtained from state legislature Web sites and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity legislative database. Full text of bills was read and summed by year and the following categories: (a) Taskforce, (b) School, (c) Community, and (d) Health care. Bills were then coded according to strategies outlined in the Institute of Medicine publication, Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention.

Of the 611 obesity-specific bills proposed over the last decade, 93 (15.2%) passed and represented 30 states. The largest number of bills ("n") introduced was in the School category (n = 276), followed by Community (n = 126), Health care (n = 117), and Taskforce (n = 92). Percentages of bills passed were as follows: Taskforce (28%), Health care (16%), Schools (14%), and Community (7%). Institute of Medicine strategies were identified in most state legislations.

Overall, 15% of obesity bills passed from 2001 to 2010. Legislation can be an important first step to change society and institutional norms to encourage and support people to develop healthier behaviors. Public health practitioners may find the Institute of Medicine guidance and the legislative database useful resources to further efforts in obesity prevention.