TY - JOUR
T1 - Political economy, trade relations and health inequalities: lessons from general health
AU - Friel, Sharon
AU - Jamieson, Lisa
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - This article argues that health outcomes, specifically nutrition related health outcomes, are socially determined, and can be linked to a wider political economy in which peoples' dietary consumption is structurally determined, evolving from political, economic and social forces. The article examines trade and investment agreements as regulatory vehicles that cultivate poor dietary consumption and inequalities in health outcomes between and within countries. How does this happen? The liberalization of trade and investment, and unfettered influence of powerful economic interests including transnational food and beverage companies has resulted in trade agreements that enable excess availability, affordability and acceptability of highly processed, nutrient poor foods worldwide, ultimately resulting in poor nutrition and consequently oral and other non-communicable diseases. These trade and nutrition policy tensions shine a spotlight on the challenges ahead for global health and development policies, including achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
AB - This article argues that health outcomes, specifically nutrition related health outcomes, are socially determined, and can be linked to a wider political economy in which peoples' dietary consumption is structurally determined, evolving from political, economic and social forces. The article examines trade and investment agreements as regulatory vehicles that cultivate poor dietary consumption and inequalities in health outcomes between and within countries. How does this happen? The liberalization of trade and investment, and unfettered influence of powerful economic interests including transnational food and beverage companies has resulted in trade agreements that enable excess availability, affordability and acceptability of highly processed, nutrient poor foods worldwide, ultimately resulting in poor nutrition and consequently oral and other non-communicable diseases. These trade and nutrition policy tensions shine a spotlight on the challenges ahead for global health and development policies, including achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
U2 - 10.1922/CDH_SpecialIssueFrielJamieson05
DO - 10.1922/CDH_SpecialIssueFrielJamieson05
M3 - Article
SN - 0265-539X
VL - 36
SP - 152
EP - 156
JO - Community Dental Health
JF - Community Dental Health
IS - 2
ER -