Our health is influenced by the conditions we are born, grow, live, work and age in – the wider determinants of health. These include commercial determinants of health and health inequalities.
The main causes of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) include consumption of unhealthy commodities such as tobacco, alcohol, or foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar. Exposure to these is preventable but also highly profitable to the companies involved. Their consumption, health and social impacts are inequitable, and are driven by the complex systems of production, distribution and promotion.
On Wednesday 24 November 2021 we held the third webinar in our series sharing emerging findings from UKPRP-funded projects and exploring their implications for policy. Speakers from the SPECTRUM consortium shared new evidence to inform the prevention of NCDs caused by unhealthy commodities focusing initially on tobacco and alcohol but extending work to unhealthy food and drinks. The research aims to transform policy and practice to encourage and enable healthy environments and behaviours.
Speakers
- David Crosby, Head of Prevention and Early Detection, Cancer Research UK
- Linda Bauld, SPECTRUM Consortium Director, University of Edinburgh
- Niamh Shortt, Professor of Health Geographies, University of Edinburgh
