Profits and PandemicsProfits and PandemicsSeptember 16 2014September 16 2014

Rob Moodie (on behalf of my coRob Moodie (on behalf of my co--authors)authors)

Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne

,

My co-authors

�David Stuckler, UK�Carlos Monteiro, Brasil �Nick Sheron, UK�Bruce Neal, Australia

�Thaksaphon Thamarangsi, Thailand�Paul Lincoln, UK�Sally Casswell, NZ

The Lancet NCD Action Group

�Failure to prevent NCDs to date is a political, not a technical, failure.

�Action is inadequate –

nationally and by development agencies and foundations.

The Lancet NCD Action Group and the NCD Alliance

40% of 13-15 year old boys in Indonesia smoke

� More than 300 million smokers in China

� 28.1% of total population

� 52.9% of men, 2.4% of women

The Lancet NCD Action Group

Our aim?Our aim?

To examine the role of To examine the role of

tobacco, alcohol and ultra tobacco, alcohol and ultra

processed food and drink processed food and drink

industries in NCD prevention industries in NCD prevention

and controland control

Profits and pandemics

Or are they, as they claim, Or are they, as they claim, ““part of the part of the

solution?solution?””

TThere is consensus that tobacco here is consensus that tobacco

has a conflict of interest which is has a conflict of interest which is

irreconcilable with public healthirreconcilable with public health

Are the competing interests of Are the competing interests of

alcohol and ultra processed food alcohol and ultra processed food

and drink industries similarly and drink industries similarly

irreconcilable?irreconcilable?

Profits and pandemics

The Lancet NCD Action Group

Transnational corporations Transnational corporations

are major drivers of NCD are major drivers of NCD

epidemics epidemics

And they profit from And they profit from

increased consumption of increased consumption of

tobacco, alcohol and ultratobacco, alcohol and ultra--

processed food and drink.processed food and drink.

Profits and pandemics

The Lancet NCD Action Group

As much as these are As much as these are ““lifestylelifestyle””

(personal responsibility) (personal responsibility)

epidemics epidemics

they are also they are also ““industrial industrial

epidemicsepidemics”” (societal (societal

responsibility) responsibility) and the and the

industries are industries are vectors vectors of diseaseof disease

There is a difference thoughThere is a difference though……

Annual growth rate (%) of volume consumption per person in low-income and middle-income countries, and high-income countries between 1997

and 2009

Low IncomeLow Income High IncomeHigh Income

Packaged food 1·9% 0·4%Soft drinks 5·2% 2·4%Processed food 2·0% 1·4%Oil and fats 1·6% –0·1%Snacks and snack bars 2·4% 2·0%Alcohol 2·8% 1·1%Tobacco* 2·0% 0·1%

Adapted with permission from reference 7.

* Tobacco data are in retail sales per person.

Profits and pandemics

The Lancet NCD Action Group

Alcohol and ultra processed food and drink industries use similar strategies to the tobacco industry to undermine effective public health policies by:

� Biasing research findings

� Coopting policy makers and health professionals

� Lobbying politicians and public officials to oppose public regulation

� Influencing voters to oppose public health regulation

� Blatantly ignoring codes of conduct

Profits and pandemics

The Lancet NCD Action Group

By concentrating fat, salt and sugar in products formulated for maximum “bliss,” Big Food has spent almost a century distorting the American diet in favour of calorie-dense products whose consumption pattern has been mirrored by the calamitous rise in obesity rates

Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the food giants hooked us by Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the food giants hooked us by

Michael MossMichael Moss

Profits and pandemics

The Lancet NCD Action Group

Models of working with unhealthy commodity industries

� Industry self regulation

� Preferred model of industry (and at the moment governments and UN)

� Public Private Partnerships

� Better “inside the tent than outside”

� Food and Health dialogue

� Responsibilty Deal

� Public regulation

� Acknowledging the profound conflicts of interest between protection of public health and profit from unhealthy commodities

ManufacturersManufacturers

RetailersRetailers

Advertisers Advertisers

Media Media

Sports, arts and Sports, arts and

community associationscommunity associations

The (Un)Holy Union

The top 5 brands in the Warc 100 (a global

marketing intelligence service) in 2014 are:

1.Coca-Cola Soft Drinks

2.McDonald’s Retail

3.Vodafone Telecoms

4.Dove Toiletries & Cosmetics

5.Pepsi Soft Drinks

http://www.bandt.com.au/media/coke-tops-warcs-smartest-brand-study?utm_source=*%7CLIST_LIST_NAME%7C*&utm_campaign=1e84b99f29

The 5 Top Global Brands

The top 5 advertisers in the Warc 100 for 2014

are:

1.Unilever Food, Household & Domestic

2.PepsiCo Soft Drinks, Food

3.The Coca-Cola Co. Soft Drinks

4.Mondelez Food

5.Procter & Gamble Food, Household & Domestic

The 5 Top Global Advertisers

Key messages

�Unhealthy commodity industries should have no role in the formation of national or international NCD policy

�No evidence to support the effectiveness of self-regulation and public–private partnerships to improve public health

�Public regulation and market intervention are the only evidence-based mechanisms that can prevent harm caused by unhealthy commodity industries

�Unhealthy commodity Industry behaviour should be monitored as we monitor other vectors of disease

Margaret Chan

“It is not just Big Tobacco anymore. Public health must also contend with Big Food, Big Soda, and Big Alcohol. All of these industries fear regulation, and protect themselves by using the same tactics.”

Health Promotion Conference, Helsinki 2013