ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a broad scope of policy instruments to address the food environment and reviews how some policies may create an environment that contributes to weight gain, and higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. Policy responses may be a system of laws, regulatory measures, and courses of action or funding priorities. Comprehensive policies for the food environment need to intervene at all points of the food-supply chain to have the greatest impact on obesogenic food environments. National governments have food standard regulations that specify the ingredients and contents of key nutrients in different types of foods, and food manufacturers must abide by these regulations. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a document examining the various policy options to address overweight/obesity in Europe. Remote communities in countries that are geographically-vast, such as Australia and Canada often report food environments that encourage the consumption of energy-dense foods.
