Improving "Life Chances": Surveying the Anti-Transgender Backlash, and Offering a Transgender Equity Impact Assessment Tool for Policy Analysis.

Transgender inclusion within policy is critical yet often missing. We propose a policy tool to assesses human rights, access to resources and opportunities, language, and implications for transgender and nonbinary individuals. Acknowledging trans communities as standard policy practice can serve as an essential practice to shift dialogue and norms.

First Food Policy and Law Scan: How Tribes in the Bemidji Area Are Applying Policy and Systems Approaches to Support Breastfeeding.

The objective of the First Food Policy and Law Scan was to identify breastfeeding policies adopted by federally recognized Tribes in the Indian Health Service's Bemidji Area to understand how breastfeeding is supported through policy. In 2018-2019, we invited all federally recognized Tribes in the Bemidji Area (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) to share information on policies in 6 settings (eg, government, casinos). Tribal contacts shared 61 policies from 31 Tribes.

State Regulations to Support Children's Cultural and Religious Food Preferences in Early Care and Education.

Objective: In July 2018 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released a benchmark encouraging early care and education (ECE) programs, including child care centers and family child care homes, to incorporate cultural and religious food preferences of children into meals. We examined the extent to which states were already doing so through their ECE licensing and administrative regulations prior to the release of the benchmark. This review may serve as a baseline to assess future updates, if more states incorporate the benchmark into their regulations.

Food Service Guideline Policies on Local Government-Controlled Properties.

Purpose: Local governments can implement food service guideline (FSG) policies, which, in large cities, may reach millions of people. This study identified FSG policies among the 20 largest US cities and analyzed them for key FSG policy attributes.

Design: Quantitative research.

Maximizing Community Voices to Address Health Inequities: How the Law Hinders and Helps.

This paper highlights the need to apply an equity lens when assessing the impact of preemption and related legal doctrines on community health. Community autonomy to set and pursue public health priorities is an essential part of achieving health equity. Unfortunately, the priorities of organized industry interest groups often conflict with health equity goals.

Food Service Guideline Policies on State Government-Controlled Properties.

Purpose: Food service guideline (FSG) policies can impact millions of daily meals sold or provided to government employees, patrons, and institutionalized persons. This study describes a classification tool to assess FSG policy attributes and uses it to rate FSG policies.

Design: Quantitative content analysis.

Implementing the IOM's recommendations for reducing sodium in the U.S. food supply: considerations and approaches.

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that the Food and Drug Administration modify the generally recognized as safe status of sodium by setting gradually decreasing limits on sodium amounts allowed in processed and prepared foods. Establishing limits on sodium uses would lead to a decrease in sodium intake, which, on average, far exceeds dietary recommendations. This article discusses the historical and regulatory context surrounding the IOM's recommendation, analyzes its potential, offers various strategies for implementing it, and concludes that the IOM's recommendation is likely the best tool currently available to achieve widespread sodium reductions in the food supply.

Beyond the code book: legal tools for accelerating progress in obesity prevention.

This paper highlights methods - other than legislative and regulatory directives - through which decision-makers may use law and the legal system to facilitate the systems-wide change that the IOM calls for.

Assessing the impact of federal and state preemption in public health: a framework for decision makers.

In the United States, state and local public health policies play a fundamental role in innovation and progress. Preemption, by which Congress or the state legislatures limit the authority of lower jurisdictions, can eliminate the benefits of state and local policy initiatives. Preemption can also have a negative impact on enforcement, civic engagement, and grassroots movement building.