ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we will introduce and describe a variety of processes, professionals, regulations, and regulatory agencies involved in the promotion of public health. Included is a brief historical overview of the development of attitudes about public welfare in this field, and their influence on the institutions and policies responsible in the U.S. for protecting the public and encouraging health through good nutrition. According to The Future of Public Health, a landmark report released two decades ago by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the mission of public health is to “assure conditions in which people can be healthy.”
