A systematic policy approach to changing the food system and physical activity environments to prevent obesity

As obesity prevention becomes an increasing health priority in many countries, including Australia<br />and New Zealand, the challenge that governments are now facing is how to adopt a systematic<br />policy approach to increase healthy eating and regular physical activity. This article sets out a<br />structure for systematically identifying areas for obesity prevention policy action across the food<br />system and full range of physical activity environments. Areas amenable to policy intervention can<br />be systematically identified by considering policy opportunities for each level of governance (local,<br />state, national, international and organisational) in each sector of the food system (primary<br />production, food processing, distribution, marketing, retail, catering and food service) and each<br />sector that influences physical activity environments (infrastructure and planning, education,<br />employment, transport, sport and recreation). Analysis grids are used to illustrate, in a structured<br />fashion, the broad array of areas amenable to legal and regulatory intervention across all levels of<br />governance and all relevant sectors. In the Australian context, potential regulatory policy<br />intervention areas are widespread throughout the food system, e.g., land-use zoning (primary<br />production within local government), food safety (food processing within state government), food<br />labelling (retail within national government). Policy areas for influencing physical activity are<br />predominantly local and state government responsibilities including, for example, walking and<br />cycling environments (infrastructure and planning sector) and physical activity education in schools<br />(education sector). The analysis structure presented in this article provides a tool to systematically<br />identify policy gaps, barriers and opportunities for obesity prevention, as part of the process of<br />developing and implementing a comprehensive obesity prevention strategy. It also serves to<br />highlight the need for a coordinated approach to policy development and implementation across<br />all levels of government in order to ensure complementary policy action.<br />