Children's Rights and Food Marketing: State Duties in Obesity Prevention

The book "Children's Rights and Food Marketing" explores states' obligations to prevent childhood obesity under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, focusing on restricting unhealthy food marketing to children. It argues that children's rights provide a compelling basis for action and that unhealthy food marketing is a transnational concern that no one state can effectively regulate alone. The book fills gaps in research on socioeconomic rights by offering an analysis of states obligations under the rights to health and nutrition in relation to non-communicable disease prevention in high-income states. It examines state obligations in the context of conflicting and complementary international duties and presents a blueprint for a child rights approach to regulating unhealthy food marketing. The book is of interest to academics, practitioners, and organizations working in public health law and children's rights.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 28 July 2022
Publisher: Intersentia Ltd

This book provides a comprehensive account of states' obligations to prevent childhood obesity under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a particular focus on restricting unhealthy food marketing to children. While political momentum may be sluggish and stilted, the book argues that children's rights provide a compelling basis for action. This is significant because unhealthy food marketing is a transnational concern that no single state can effectively regulate alone. Furthermore, the book fills gaps in research on socioeconomic rights by offering an analysis of states' obligations under the rights to health and nutrition in relation to non-communicable disease prevention in high-income states. It zeroes in on provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), allowing for a detailed analysis of the Convention as a whole. The book avoids a narrow focus, examining state obligations in the context of conflicting and complementary international duties, including international health law, the European Convention on Human Rights, European Union law, and international trade law.

Children's Rights and Food Marketing focuses on the CRC as it binds all states parties to a basic framework, which, if fully implemented, provides children in developed and developing countries with entitlements to universal standards. The Convention adds legal and moral accountability to states' public health duties. Furthermore, children's rights not only impose obligations to regulate but also obligations to do so in a manner that fully respects children's rights, namely by respecting the best interests and views of children.

Besides analyzing state obligations, the book presents a blueprint for what a child rights approach to regulating unhealthy food marketing could look like. It focuses on restrictions of unhealthy food marketing to children, including advertising, promotion, and pricing. The book also examines the role of the food industry, government, and civil society in promoting healthy eating habits and reducing childhood obesity.

In conclusion, this book is a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and advocates working to prevent childhood obesity and promote healthy eating habits. It provides a comprehensive analysis of states' obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and offers a practical blueprint for regulating unhealthy food marketing to children in a manner that respects children's rights and promotes their well-being.

Weight: 468g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839702259