Across the world our diets are often poor, damaging our health, and putting pressure on collective resources such as healthcare. And the negative effects of the unhealthy food available in our shops,...
Across the world our diets are often poor, damaging our health, and putting pressure on collective resources such as healthcare. And the negative effects of the unhealthy food available in our shops, restaurants and takeaways tend to hit the poorest in society hardest.
Governments, public health agencies and commercial companies have attempted various measures to get us to eat more healthily, including food labelling, taxes, changing the recipes of processed foods, and influencing what shops are on the high street. The choice of which approach to use is not only a matter of what works, but touches on fundamental questions about our responsibilities and freedoms. Do public health policies restrict our individual liberty to make our own choices? Or does the state have a duty to protect us from profiteering corporations and our own worst instincts? Are there universal answers to these questions, or are they different for different groups and individuals in a society?
This episode features a recording of the Festival of Ideas event "Improving our Diets - More Freedom or More Control?". In a panel discussion, public health and policy experts explore these issues.
This event was organised by the the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) which is led by the MRC Epidemiology Unit, and the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. Chaired by Dr Mike Kenny from the Bennett Institute. Panel: Dr Jean Adams (CEDAR), Dr Tom Burgoine (CEDAR), Prof Jaideep Prabhu (Judge Business School) and Dr Mike Kelly (Department of Public Health and Primary Care).