Addictions
November 12, 2024
TLDR: The Commercial Determinants of Health - The Overlooked Social Justice Issue
This article explores how large corporations influence health outcomes. Key points include:
The role of powerful industries in driving preventable diseases
How corporate wealth translates to political power
The strategies companies use to shape health behaviors and policies
Key takeaways:
Just four industries (ultra-processed food, tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels) account for a third of global deaths
As corporations profit from harmful products, they gain more power to resist regulation
Companies use sophisticated strategies to shape what society considers "normal"
Healthcare systems and governments have become increasingly unable to address these problems
Wise Mind Nutrition’s stance:
Recognizes the need to address systemic causes of poor health, not just individual choices
Acknowledges how corporate strategies influence eating behaviors and mental health
Promotes awareness of how industry shapes our food environment
Supports evidence-based policy changes to protect public health
Emphasizes the importance of understanding corporate influence while making personal health decisions
The article concludes by offering practical ways individuals can protect their health while supporting broader systemic change. It emphasizes that while solutions exist, implementation requires collective action to overcome corporate resistance.
[Read the full article for a detailed discussion of corporate strategies, health impacts, and paths to change]
The Commercial Determinants of Health: Following the Money Trail to Poor Health
As a mental health nutritionist who has spent years challenging the status quo, I've observed firsthand how commercial interests shape our health outcomes. Today, I want to pull back the curtain on what public health experts call "the commercial determinants of health," a fancy way of saying how big business impacts our well-being, often in hidden ways.
The Elephant in the Room
Imagine a game where the players who cause the most damage get the most power to keep playing. Sounds absurd, right? Yet this is precisely what's happening with our health. The companies producing the products that harm us most–ultra-processed foods, tobacco, alcohol, and fossil fuels–are also becoming increasingly wealthy and influential while the rest of us pay the price.
The Big Four
Just four industry sectors are responsible for at least one-third of deaths globally:
Ultra-Processed Food Industry: Creating products engineered to override our natural satiety signals
Tobacco Industry: Despite decades of evidence of harm
Alcohol Industry: Marketing addiction as a lifestyle
Fossil Fuel Industry: Impacting both planetary and human health
The Food Industry: A Closer Look
As someone specializing in nutrition and mental health, I'm particularly concerned about the food industry's role. Here's what we're seeing:
Creation of ultra-processed foods designed for maximum palatability and profit, not health
Aggressive marketing to children and vulnerable populations
Lobbying against public health measures
Funding research that downplays their products' harmful effects
Creating confusion about nutrition science
The Vicious Cycle
Here's the troubling pattern:
Companies create harmful products
They make enormous profits
They use these profits to gain more influence
This influence helps them avoid regulation
The cycle continues while public health deteriorates
The Corporate Playbook: Shaping What We Think is "Normal"
One of the most powerful yet subtle ways corporations influence our health is through "norm-shaping," strategically manipulating what society considers standard, acceptable, or desirable. Here's how they do it:
Manufacturing Doubt
Funding studies that create uncertainty about health impacts
Using phrases like "more research is needed" to delay action
Attacking scientists and health advocates who speak out
Creating front groups that appear independent but serve industry interests
Controlling the Narrative
Promoting individual responsibility while downplaying corporate accountability
Using terms like "balance" and "moderation" to normalize harmful products
Sponsoring health organizations to gain credibility
Positioning themselves as part of the solution rather than the problem
Stigmatizing Critics
Labeling health advocates as "food police" or "nanny state" proponents
Dismissing concerns about ultra-processed foods as "fearmongering"
Portraying public health measures as attacks on personal freedom
Using social media influencers to mock health-conscious choices
Creating False Equivalencies
Equating industry-funded research with independent studies
Suggesting all foods should be part of a healthy diet
Comparing naturally occurring sugars with added sugars
Positioning exercise as an equal counterbalance to a poor diet
Capturing Professional Organizations
Funding nutrition organizations and conferences
Influencing dietary guidelines through lobbying
Creating educational materials for schools
Sponsoring continuing education for health professionals
Why Can't We Stop This?
The system has become what health experts call "pathological," it's designed to make harmful companies more powerful while weakening the forces that could stop them:
Governments become dependent on corporate tax revenue and lobbying
Healthcare systems have become overwhelmed treating preventable diseases
Individuals bear the burden of poor health and increasing healthcare costs
Civil society organizations struggle to compete with corporate resources
The Real Cost
While companies privatize the profits, they socialize the costs. We all pay through:
Skyrocketing healthcare expenses
Environmental degradation
Increasing mental health issues
Widening health inequalities
Reduced life expectancy
Breaking the Cycle
Solutions exist, but they require collective action:
Awareness: Understanding how commercial interests influence our choices
Advocacy: Supporting policies that prioritize public health over profit
Action: Making informed choices about what we consume
Accountability: Demanding transparency from corporations and governments
A Personal Note
As a clinician who has treated over 1,000 patients struggling with disordered eating and addiction, I've seen how commercial interests can hijack our natural relationships with food and substances. The solution isn't just about individual choices–it's about changing the system that makes harmful choices accessible and profitable.
Moving Forward
We need a fundamental shift in how we think about business and health. This means:
Prioritizing public health over corporate profits
Implementing stronger regulations on harmful industries
Supporting businesses that contribute positively to health
Empowering individuals and communities to resist harmful marketing
Teaching people about value-based eating
The Bottom Line
The commercial determinants of health might sound like academic jargon, but it's really about something simple: how money and power influence our well-being. By understanding these forces, we can better protect ourselves and advocate for change.
The good news? Solutions exist. The challenge isn't finding what works–it's finding the collective will to implement these solutions despite corporate resistance. As healthcare providers, citizens, and consumers, we all have a role to play in demanding this change.
Take Action
Educate yourself about corporate influence on health
Support organizations advocating for public health
Vote for politicians who prioritize health over corporate interests
Make mindful choices about what you consume and who you support
Download the Wise Mind Nutrition app and start your journey
Remember: Your health is your wealth. Don't let commercial interests convince you otherwise.
View an hour-long training on the Commercial Determinants of Health.
References
1. Gilmore, A. B., Fabbri, A., Baum, F., Bertscher, A., Bondy, K., Chang, H.-J., Demaio, S., Erzse, A., Freudenberg, N., Friel, S., Hofman, K. J., Johns, P., Karim, S. A., Lacy-Nichols, J., Carvalho, C. M. P. de, Marten, R., McKee, M., Petticrew, M., Robertson, L., … Thow, A. M. (2023). Defining and conceptualising the commercial determinants of health. The Lancet, 401(Milbank Q 98 2020), 1194–1213. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00013-2
2. Friel, S., Collin, J., Daube, M., Depoux, A., Freudenberg, N., Gilmore, A. B., Johns, P., Laar, A., Marten, R., McKee, M., & Mialon, M. (2023). Commercial determinants of health: future directions. The Lancet, 401(10383), 1229–1240. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00011-9
3. Lacy-Nichols, J., Nandi, S., Mialon, M., McCambridge, J., Lee, K., Jones, A., Gilmore, A. B., Galea, S., Lacy-Vawdon, C. de, Carvalho, C. M. P. de, Baum, F., & Moodie, R. (2023). Conceptualising commercial entities in public health: beyond unhealthy commodities and transnational corporations. The Lancet, 401(10383), 1214–1228. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00012-0