by: Caity Dekker
posted on Thursday, September 17, 2015
With nutrition-related diseases regularly making headlines, food and beverage companies are eager to portray themselves as part of the solution. In this Q&A, BMSG’s Laura Nixon discusses new research on industry messaging and implications for public health.
Tags: beverage industry, food industry, framing, media, obesity, public health
by: Andrew Cheyne
posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
To create a favorable political climate and protect their profits, both the food and tobacco industries have devised ways to anticipate — and counter — threats. Their tactics, often hidden from the public, reveal an important lesson: Success happens over the long haul — advocates should plan accordingly.
Tags: Amanda Fallin, food industry, front groups, obesity, public health, Rachel Grana, Tea Party, tobacco industry
by: Laura Nixon and Pamela Mejia
posted on Friday, January 18, 2013
In its latest ad campaign, Coca-Cola claims that it is committed to fighting obesity — so why doesn’t the beverage giant stop targeting low-income children of color?
Tags: Coca-Cola, obesity, target marketing
by: Heather Gehlert
posted on Monday, August 13, 2012
Language matters. It affects not only how people view an issue but also how they act on it. When it comes to discussing food policy, a couple of language pitfalls may be thwarting advocates’ efforts at change.
Tags: food, framing, language, obesity, public health, regulation
by: Heather Gehlert
posted on Monday, May 14, 2012
Obesity is a symptom of a much bigger problem. Yet many of the groups working to improve health equity have placed responsibility for the country’s growing waistlines and related health issues squarely on the shoulders of individuals. And the food industry is reaping the benefits.
Tags: chronic disease, obesity, public health, weight of the nation
by: Priscilla Gonzalez
posted on Friday, April 20, 2012
Everyone needs easy access to healthy, affordable food. Yet this basic point is getting lost in recent media coverage of new research that questions the existence of food deserts and their potential relationship to obesity.
Tags: built environment, food access, food deserts, food swamps, obesity, public health
by: Pamela Mejia
posted on Thursday, April 12, 2012
News coverage of a study that links the risk of autism to obesity during pregnancy frames the issue primarily as it relates to expecting mothers’ eating and exercise habits. It largely ignores the social, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to obesity.
Tags: autism, children's health, media, obesity, public health, women's health
by: Andrew Cheyne
posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Following Food Network star Paula Deen’s announcment that she has Type-2 diabetes, fans have rallied behind her in support. But the arguments that they — and Deen herself — are using to defend her promotion of high-calorie foods are eerily similar to the industry rhetoric used to defend another Southern product: tobacco.
Tags: diabetes, food and beverage marketing, obesity, paula deen, public health, tobacco
by: Heather Gehlert
posted on Thursday, December 01, 2011
McDonald’s has found a way to skirt a San Francisco ordinance requiring restaurants offering toys to make sure the food that comes with them meets certain nutrition standards. Instead of making its Happy Meals healthier, McDonald’s is now charging for toys. But even if the fast feeder is complying with the law, they are hardly off the hook.
Tags: food marketing, Happy Meals, McDonald's, obesity, public health, San Francisco
by: Priscilla Gonzalez
posted on Friday, November 04, 2011
The food and beverage industry’s deceptive and unhealthy marketing practices contribute to the high rates of obesity often found among communities of color. Food Day, an annual event launched recently by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, offers an opportunity to speak out against these practices.
Tags: food and beverage marketing, food justice, health equity, healthy eating, obesity
