Policy tools for the childhood obesity epidemic.

The rapid increases in childhood and adolescent overweight between 1980 and 1999 can only be explained by environmental factors. Historically, the most effective strategies to address nutritional problems that have caused such widespread disease have been policy-driven environmental changes. To develop effective public policy responses to the obesity epidemic, we must expand the science base linking environmental conditions and policies to health behaviors and conditions; establish effective intersectoral coalitions of stakeholders; and create effective policy at the national and state levels. Although the childhood obesity epidemic is still evolving, this article provides several examples of potentially effective strategic approaches to address it.