Manufacturing epidemics: the role of global producers in increased consumption of unhealthy commodities including processed foods, alcohol, and tobacco

David Stuckler, Martin McKee, Shah Ebrahim, Sanjay Basu, David Stuckler, Martin McKee, Shah Ebrahim, Sanjay Basu

Abstract

In an article that forms part of the PLoS Medicine series on Big Food, David Stuckler and colleagues report that unhealthy packaged foods are being consumed rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, consistent with rapid expansion of multinational food companies into emerging markets and fueling obesity and chronic disease epidemics.

Conflict of interest statement

MM is a member of the Global Health Advisory Committee of the Open Society Institute and has served on advisory boards for Merck & Co (1999-2006) and Johnson & Johnson (2006-2009). He has received research funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and expenses from projects funded by the Gates Foundation to attend scientific meetings LSHTM receives funding from the Gates Foundation, and was the recipient of the 2009 Gates Award for Global Health. DS is a guest editor of the PLoS Medicine series on Big Food. All other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1. Trends in per capita sales…
Figure 1. Trends in per capita sales of unhealthy food and beverage commodities, 1997–2010 and projected to 2016.
Mean growth rates 1997–2010 are labelled. Data are from the EuroMonitor 2011 dataset. LMICs defined using World Bank criteria as GDP

Figure 2. Associations of tobacco, alcohol, soft…

Figure 2. Associations of tobacco, alcohol, soft drink and processed food markets, 80 countries, 2010.

Figure 2. Associations of tobacco, alcohol, soft drink and processed food markets, 80 countries, 2010.
Figure 2. Associations of tobacco, alcohol, soft…
Figure 2. Associations of tobacco, alcohol, soft drink and processed food markets, 80 countries, 2010.

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Source: PubMed

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