Obesity Prevention Policy: from Harm Regulation towards a Neo-Prohibitionist Regime?

There has been increasing attention paid to non-communicable disease risk factors including tobacco, diet, alcohol and a lack of physical activity. The tobacco control model has moved from largely supply side, ‘harm regulation’ measures of the 1950s and 1960s (e.g. ‘safe’ cigarettes, education, self-regulation) to demand side, neo-prohibitionism in the 1980s (e.g. mandatory restrictions) with the increased attention paid to second hand smoke issues. Obesity as well as alcohol remain in the ‘harm regulation’ model although there have been attempts to move toward a more demand side model. Despite the attractiveness of the tobacco control model for obesity policy change, progress has been slow. We analyse the prospects for moving obesity policy towards a neo-prohibitionist model.