"The Politics of Food and Malnutrition: Understanding the Rise and Influence of Junk Food Industries and the Role of Government in Developing Nations"

Speaker: Eduardo J. Gómez, Associate Professor, Department of Community and Population Health and Director, Institute for Health Policy and Politics

Drawing from his new book, Junk Food Politics, in this presentation, Dr. Gómez explains the complex international and domestic politics of the rise and influence of major beverage and fast food industries in emerging middle-income countries. He explains how these industries have strategically manipulated politics, policy, and society in ways that challenges the progress made in protecting vulnerable populations, such as children and the poor, from obesity. However, Dr. Gómez claims that industries are partly to blame: aspiring democratic leaders have also sought to partner with these industries to achieve alternative political agendas, despite the health consequences for these vulnerable populations.