E201: Junk Food Politics – the price of outsized corporate influence

April 10, 2023

Processed food industries are thriving in developing countries, despite government commitment to eradicating non-communicable diseases, prevention programs aim at reducing obesity, type two diabetes, and sugary beverage consumption. What’s more, political leaders in some countries are reluctant to regulate the marketing and sale of these products, particularly among vulnerable groups, like children and the poor. Like me, you might be asking yourself: why? Our guest today is the author of a new book, “Junk Food Politics: How Beverage and Fast Food Industries Are Reshaping Emerging Economics.” His name is Professor Eduardo Gomez, Director of the Institute of Health Policy and Politics, at Lehigh University.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Childhood Obesity | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | Food Policy | Soda Taxes |

 

E161: New Movie “El Susto” Tackles the Tragedy of Sugary Drinks in Mexico

March 29, 2022

Consumption rates of sugared beverages in Mexico are extraordinary and take a very real toll on the health and well-being of the people who live there. Today’s guest tells that story in a film called “El Susto.” In response to the health crisis precipitated by soda consumption, the Mexican government passed a soda tax in 2014. While Mexico is one of more than 50 countries with such taxes, it is a place where the story has been told in the most detail, in a combination of scientific studies, press coverage, and now the film “El Susto.” This award winning film was created by documentary filmmaker, Karen Akins, who joins us today.

Related podcasts: Addiction & Food | Advocacy & Food | Food Policy | International Food & Ag Policy | Movies & Food | Soda Taxes | Weight Stigma |

 

E150: What Food Policy Advocates Can Learn from Tobacco Industry Strategies

December 2, 2021

This is “The Leading Voices in Food” podcast but today we’re speaking with a leading voice in tobacco control. “How come,” you might ask, “why?” So I believe for many years that the parallels between the tobacco industry and food industry practices are nothing short of stunning, and that our field would do very well to learn lessons learned from the pioneers in the tobacco wars. Our guest today is Dr. Kenneth Warner, Distinguished Emeritus Professor and former Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. Ken’s research focuses on the economic and policy aspects of tobacco and health.

Related podcasts: Addiction & Food | Advocacy & Food | Food Policy | Soda Taxes | Ultra-processed Food & Additives |

 

E99: How Soda Taxes Can Drive Equity and Community Wellbeing

November 17, 2020

Soda taxes now exist in about 50 countries around the world and in a number of US cities. They raise lots and lots of money. How would you suggest that the revenues be used? This podcast focuses on the connection between sugar-sweetened beverage taxes and racial and social equity. We’re speaking today with a champion of community-driven approaches to health equity and environmental justice. My guest is Xavier Morales, the executive director of The Praxis Project, the national organization headquartered in Oakland and dedicated to supporting communities, building power for health.

Related podcasts: Addiction & Food | Childhood Obesity | Food Policy | Obesity | Soda Taxes |

 

E59: Hunt Allcott on the Optimum Soda Tax

October 21, 2019

Today’s guest, Dr. Hunt Allcott, had two recent papers with colleagues Benjamin Lockwood and Dmitry Taubinsky, on whether soda taxes are effective, and how an optimal soda tax might be established. They were published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. These are important papers at an important time, given all the activity around the world on soda taxes.

Related podcasts: Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | Food Policy | Soda Taxes |

 

E51: Neena Prasad on the Sound Benefits of Soda Taxes

October 2, 2019

Imagine you’ve come to work for a major foundation and were asked to create a program on obesity prevention. With the vast array of possible things one might do, how in the world would you choose what might have the most impact, and what would be the most cost effective? This was the task of our guest Dr Neena Prasad, who joined Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2008.

Related podcasts: Childhood Obesity | Food Policy | Obesity | Soda Taxes | Ultra-processed Food & Additives |

 

E44: Chile’s Health Strategy: Warning Labels, Soda Taxes, and Marketing Limits

June 14, 2019

So what happens when a country gets really serious…REALLY serious about tackling diet, nutrition, and chronic disease? Is there a country in the world that stands out for taking the most imaginative and strongest action? The answer is yes, and a person who knows a lot about this is our guest Barry Popkin.

Related podcasts: Childhood Obesity | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | International Food & Ag Policy | Obesity | Soda Taxes |

 

E43: Barry Popkin on the International Success of Soda Taxes

Taxes on sugar sweetened beverages now exist in a number of cities in the United States, including Philadelphia, Oakland, and San Francisco, and in more than 40 countries around the world. These have been made possible by dedicated, passionate and talented people working on the science supporting the use of such taxes. They evaluated the impact of these taxes and have worked with governments to decide how taxes might be structured and implemented. And there is no person who does all these things better and does so in every corner of the world than Barry Popkin.
International Success of Soda Taxes

Related podcasts: Childhood Obesity | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | Obesity | Soda Taxes |

 

E42: Jim Krieger on the Making of a Soda Tax

June 13, 2019

Let’s say that you are a public health advocate and would like to see a tax on sugar sweetened beverages established in your community. What steps would you take? What coalitions do you think you’d need to build. And how would you go about the extraordinary work of gathering support from both the public and political figures? Few people are in a position to tell the story in such a compelling way as today’s guest Dr. James Krieger, who joins us from Seattle–one of the many places in the world that now has such taxes.

Related podcasts: Childhood Obesity | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | Food Policy | Obesity | Soda Taxes |

 

E35: Jennifer Pomeranz on Food Policy and Industry Tactics Driving Preemption

April 25, 2019

In the past several years, cities in California led the way in passing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Berkeley was first with Oakland, San Francisco and Albany, California following, each with the aim of improving public health by decreasing consumption of beverages known to be associated with obesity, diabetes, and other medical issues, and to raise revenue for needed programs. But then something historic happened: preemption. A leading expert on the application of the law on public health and on the issue of preemption is Jennifer Pomeranz.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | Food Policy | Obesity | Soda Taxes |