Category Archives: Food

Starving America?

November 19, 2009 – 12:13 pm

What does economic crisis mean for a country’s health? Hunger and hardship for the population’s most vulnerable, judging by the news coming out of the US.
Croakey’s North American correspondent, Dr Lesley Russell, writes:
“While an excellent discussion is underway on Croakey about the value of calorie labeling in tackling obesity, it has been shocking this week [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Health inequalities, child health, global health, poverty, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Would calorie-counting menus help bust Oz girths?

November 17, 2009 – 11:59 am

As previously reported in Croakey below, there is a weight-busting move afoot in the US to introduce calorie-counting menus in chain restaurants. These have been in place in New York City since last year but may be more widely introduced.
Would such a move be useful and welcomed in Australia? Read on…

By Croakey | Also posted in obesity, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (5)

How many calories would you like with that order?

November 13, 2009 – 10:42 am

The health care reform bill in the US is so weighty that many people haven’t yet twigged that it contains a significant provision for those concerned about a healthy food supply and obesity. The provision would require anyone who operates chain restaurants or vending machines with more than 20 locations to provide a calorie count [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health reform, obesity, public health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)

Want to see a real food war? This is the stoush to watch

November 6, 2009 – 6:08 pm

In case you missed it, there’s been a minor food spat going on at Crikey. When the nutritionist, Dr Rosemary Stanton, called for foods to be taxed according to their carbon footprint, this, predictably enough, got right up the noses of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, as well as their friends at the Institute [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, climate change, obesity, public health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (4)

Passion DOES have a place in public health

November 4, 2009 – 3:41 pm

The discussion about relationships between public health and the food industry continues…
Boyd Swinburn, Professor of Population Health, and Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University, writes:
“Stephen Leeder makes a well argued plea for people to quit blasting the food industry with moral indignation and to work with them to find [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in obesity, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Opening another front in the public health/food industry debate

November 4, 2009 – 1:41 pm

The recent debate between nutritionist Dr Rosmary Stanton and PepsiCo executive Dr Derek Yach generated much discussion at Croakey. Many public health experts were sceptical about the intentions of companies like PepsiCo.
However, Stephen Leeder, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney, argues that the public health community needs to move beyond moral indignation [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in obesity, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

More on Dr Coca-Cola

October 23, 2009 – 9:48 am

For those who’ve been following the Croakey debate on the “healthy” rebranding of soft drinks, here’s an interesting story from the LA Times health blog following up the implications of health and medical organisations taking funding from soft drink companies and other vested interests.
It turns out the doctors aren’t the only ones taking Coca-Cola’s money. [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in dental care, health & medical marketing, public health | Comments (0)

The soft drink wars heat up

October 22, 2009 – 8:59 am

The debate between Derek Yach of PepsiCo and public health sceptics is being watched from afar.
Obesity control expert Professor Boyd Swinburn has sent in his observations while travelling in the US. He writes:
“I am currently in Boston and read with interest the comments about Derek Yach and Pepsi’s PR mission to Australia.
The TV in the [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health & medical marketing, obesity, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

PepsiCo responds…

October 22, 2009 – 8:51 am

As previously mentioned in Croakey posts and in this Crikey story, a tobacco control advocate turned senior PepsiCo executive, Derek Yach, recently debated public health nutritionist Rosemary Stanton at the University of Sydney. He has asked for right of reply to the Crikey piece.
He writes:
“The pity is that Melissa clearly did not absorb the objective [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health & medical marketing, obesity, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

What’s the real story on soft drinks and public health?

October 21, 2009 – 6:30 pm

Following on from the previous post about the healthy rebranding of soft drinks, Terry Slevin of Cancer Council WA, has sent in the following comment:
“To my frustration I missed the Rosemary and Derek show at Sydney Uni – but it would have been a bit of a drive home…
But it seems we are asked to [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health & medical marketing, public health | Comments (1)