The global shift towards overweight and obese populations has ledto a significant rise in diet-related chronic illness. This bookexamines the role global food trade has played in that shift,looking carefully at how the trade of food across national borders,international and regional trade agreements, the process of tradeand investment liberalization, and the growth of transnational foodcorporations affects what people eat and, by implication, theirhealth. An international team of editors has brought together aprestigious group of contributors who present a critical analysisof the linkages between trade, food and diet in different domains.Between them, the multidisciplinary group present a balancedperspective on the opportunities and risks trade poses for dietarytrends and offer a practical analysis of the policy optionsavailable to address this growing global concern. An international multidisciplinary team of authors Detailed look at the issues followed by practical policyanalysis A comprehensive review of an important global issue Academics, researchers and practitioners in the field of publichealth, especially those concerned with nutrition, obesity andchronic disease, will find this book an enlightening andfascinating read. Social scientists, policy makers, trade analystsand food industry professionals will equally gain much from thisinnovative approach to the subject.

Non-communicable diseases, associated with risk factors such as tobacco consumption, poor diet and alcohol use, represent a growing health burden around the world. The seriousness of non-communicable diseases is reflected in the adoption of international instruments such as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health; and the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol. In line with these instruments, states are beginning to use measures such as taxes, restrictions on marketing, product regulation and labeling measures for public health purposes. This book examines the extent to which the law of the World Trade Organization restricts domestic implementation of these types of measures. The relationship between international health instruments and the WTO Agreement is examined, as are the WTO covered agreements themselves.

Health, Food and Social Inequality investigates how vast amounts of consumer data are used by the food industry to enable the social ranking of products, food outlets and consumers themselves, and how this influences food consumption patterns. This book supplies a fresh social scientific perspective on the health consequences of poor diet. Shifting the focus from individual behaviour to the food supply and the way it is developed and marketed, it discusses what is known about the shaping of food behaviours by both social theory and psychology. Exploring how knowledge of social identities and health beliefs and behaviours are used by the food industry, Health, Food and Social Inequality outlines, for example, how commercial marketing firms supply food companies with information on where to locate snack and fast foods whilst also advising governments on where to site health services for those consuming such foods disproportionately. Giving a sociological underpinning to Nudge theory while simultaneously critiquing it in the context of diet and health, this book explores how social class is an often overlooked factor mediating both individual dietary practice and food marketing strategies. This innovative volume provides a detailed critique of marketing and food industry practices and places class at the centre of diet and health. It is suitable for scholars in the social sciences, public health and marketing.

This study reviews policy developments in recent years and, in the light of that, explores ways in which further consensus might be reached among WTO members to reduce farm trade distortions – and thereby also progress the multilateral trade reform agenda. Particular attention is given to ways that would boost well-being in developing countries, especially for those food-insecure households still suffering from poverty and hunger.

Protectionism has been placed under the media spotlight, with news headlines generated by populist anti-globalization movements and Donald Trump's term as US President. Such a policy stance is putting at risk unilateral trade reform efforts in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere.This two-volume reference work provides a timely update on how far the region has come in opening markets. It analyzes the motivations or ostensible objectives of policies adopted in the past, the changing extent of the domestic price distortions involved, the economic effects of those policies at home and abroad, the political economy forces at work that brought about those policies and their subsequent reform, their consequences for international trade, economic welfare and poverty alleviation, and prospects for sustainable improvements in current policies. Case studies of major East Asian economies and Australia reveal how government priorities to assist farmers versus manufacturers changed over the past century but especially since the 1980s, and how that has affected trade between natural resource-poor and resource-rich economies.This set is highly recommended for those who are interested in the economics and politics of trade policies, agricultural economics, economic development, and food and nutrition security in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

This handbook provides a holistic understanding of what the World Trade Organization does, how it goes about fulfilling its tasks, its achievements and problems, and how it might contend with some critical challenges.

This comprehensive text provides the latest research on key concepts, principles and practices for promoting healthy and sustainable food systems. There are increasing concerns about the impact of food systems on environmental sustainability and, in turn, the impact of environmental sustainability on the capacity of food systems to protect food and nutrition security into the future. The contributors to this book are leading researchers in the causes of and solutions to these challenges. As international experts in their fields, they provide in-depth analyses of the issues and evidence-informed recommendations for future policies and practices. Starting with an overview of ideas about health, sustainability and equity in relation to food systems, Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems examines what constitutes a food system, with chapters on production, manufacturing, distribution and retail, among others. The text explores health and sustainable diets, looking at issues such as overconsumption and waste. The book ends with discussions about the politics, policy, personal behaviours and advocacy behind creating healthy and sustainable food systems. With a food systems approach to health and sustainability identified as a priority area for public health, this text introduces core knowledge for students, academics, practitioners and policy-makers from a range of disciplines including food and nutrition sciences, dietetics, public health, public policy, medicine, health science and environmental science.

Food—We all need it and we all want it. We want it delicious, and ideally not toxic. But how the heck do we make sense of the choices paraded before us, when the so-called experts can’t agree and the guidelines change from day to day? Recommendations based on simple, sterile laboratory analysis of one nutrient, one effect, have no place in the pantheon of science… nor the pantry of any respectable chef. Michael S. Fenster, MD, interventional cardiologist, and professional chef, separates fact from fiction and wheat from chaff. Invoking the power of the total Food Experience that every chef and food lover understands, he helps diners focus on what they’re eating in a powerful explosion of ceremony and substance. As the Food Shaman, Chef Dr. Mike combines modern knowledge from a variety of disciplines with the ancient ritual of the first chefs and healers: the shaman. The result is a quantum leap in understanding the power of the Food Experience, and why it must nurture our soul through delightful tastes and textures beyond basic nutrition.

Globalization and industrialization have caused serious changes to the food and services markets, which have led to an increase in the consumption of fast food in the daily diet. Annually, the number of fast-food restaurants increases and volumes of the industrial production of fast-food products grow. The systematic consumption of fast food has many risks, such as developing alimentary diseases and serious chronic illnesses. This increasing consumption is a critical problem as younger generations are primary consumers of fast food. Global Production and Consumption of Fast Food and Instant Concentrates compares healthy and fast foods, considers an ecological-hygienic assessment of the impact of fast food on the body in observations of people and in experiments in vivo, and discusses key questions of the interrelation of food and health. Covering topics such as nutrition and food culture, it is ideal for food industry professionals, scientists, medical professionals, researchers, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

This second edition of Freemark’s text embodies all of the strengths of the original work but is deeper and broader in scope, with new chapters on emerging themes including metabolomics, genomics, and the roles of gastrointestinal hormones, the microbiome, brown adipose tissue, and endocrine disruptors in the pathogenesis of childhood obesity. Reviews of the effects of weight excess on cognitive performance and immune function complement detailed analyses of the biochemical and molecular pathways controlling the development of childhood adiposity and metabolic disease. Critical assessments of nutritional interventions (including new chapters on infant feeding practices and vegetarian diets) and superb reviews of behavioral counseling, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery provide practical guidance for the management of overweight children. Penetrating analyses of the obesity epidemic in its social, cultural, economic, and political contexts highlight challenges and opportunities for obesity prevention and community action. The perspective is international in scope and reflects the expertise and experience of many of the leading figures in the field. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this new edition of Pediatric Obesity: Etiology, Pathogenesis and Treatment will be an invaluable guide for all healthcare providers and policy makers concerned with the evaluation and care of children with nutritional and metabolic disease and with the societal implications of the obesity epidemic.