McDonald's and PepsiCo to help write UK health policy

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

The Department of Health is putting the fast food companies McDonald's and KFC and processed food and drink manufacturers such as PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Unilever, Mars and Diageo at the heart of writing government policy on obesity, alcohol and diet-related disease, the Guardian has learned.

In an overhaul of public health, said by campaign groups to be the equivalent of handing smoking policy over to the tobacco industry, health secretary Andrew Lansley has set up five "responsibility deal" networks with business, co-chaired by ministers, to come up with policies. Some of these are expected to be used in the public health white paper due in the next month.

The groups are dominated by food and alcohol industry members, who have been invited to suggest measures to tackle public health crises. Working alongside them are public interest health and consumer groups including Which?, Cancer Research UK and the Faculty of Public Health. The alcohol responsibility deal network is chaired by the head of the lobby group the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. The food network to tackle diet and health problems includes processed food manufacturers, fast food companies, and Compass, the catering company famously pilloried by Jamie Oliver for its school menus of turkey twizzlers. The food deal's sub-group on calories is chaired by PepsiCo, owner of Walkers crisps.

=snip=

In early meetings, these commercial partners have been invited to draft priorities and identify barriers, such as EU legislation, that they would like removed. They have been assured by Lansley that he wants to explore voluntary not regulatory approaches, and to support them in removing obstacles. Using the pricing of food or alcohol to change consumption has been ruled out. One group was told that the health department did not want to lead, but rather hear from its members what should be done.

=snip=

Lansley's public health reforms are seen as a test case for wider Conservative policies on replacing state intervention with private and corporate action.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/12/mcdonalds-pepsico-help-health-policy

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Wow, the UK is becoming an Anarcho-capitalist's paradise!

[and-justice-for-all]

1. I hope UK citizens put the brakes on this nonsense...nt

[Billy Burnett]

2. Pretty soon, Cuba will be the sanest nation.

[lisa58]

3. and they don't see the joke????

[christx30]

17. Joke?

Heart attacks can be cured by a quarter pounder with cheese! Neurological condition? Looks like you heed a happy meal.

[notadmblnd]

4. What, not enough bugs, dirt, feces and other fillers in their food yet?

When did junk food makers become experts on nutrition?

[glinda]

22. When they put the brakes on organic farms there.

[malletgirl02]

5. Worst Aspects of the US

It is almost if the Tories are actively selecting the worst aspects of the US and adding it to their policies.

[sarcasmo]

6. Priceless. Looks like more than the United States is Corporate controlled.

I bet they raise the daily recommended calorie intake.

[otohara]

7. Everything is Outsourced

if not to another country, to our corporate lords.

[davidwparker]

8. Don't let Jamie Oliver hear about this. n/t

[Thor_MN]

9. Because Brawndo has electrolytes...

[stubtoe]

10. WTF??? Sure this isn't from the Onion??

:wtf:

[SkyDaddy7]

15. I thought the same thing! THE ONION!

[JJW]

11. At least they still have a press

Lucky them, they still have a press. In the US this would never be reported. And yes, the US is worse with corporate executive appointed to head Gov departments and homeland security informing corporation of possible protests against the corporate interests.

And don't forget Cheney - CEO Haliburton, Summers - CEO Goldman Sachs, Condi Rice - Executive Chevron

[DavidDvorkin]

12. Will this sort of thing lead to the end of the Liberal Democrats?

[Prophet 451]

19. Probably

Well, maybe not an outright death but a split looks fairly likely. The LibDem leadership is far to the right of the party membership and the membership feels they have been betrayed. Since Clegg agreed to join the Coalition, it's become incredibly obvious that the LibDems have sold their souls for proximity to power and have no influence on policy whatsoever. I've torn up my card and resigned my membership and I know for a fact that I'm far from the only one.

What may happen is a split between the right-wing party leadership and the left-wing party membership with the lefties either resurrecting the Social Democrats or just creating a brand new party.

So, either a split or a dead party. Time will tell which.

[DavidDvorkin]

23. Thanks

It's a sad outcome.

[Prophet 451]

27. But an object lesson...

...in what happens when you sell out your principles for power.

[Nexus7]

13. It's about time

It's about time they found out, like we (US) did, that if you give these jokers an inch, they'll call it a mandate and stick their jackbooted ideology into your future. Starting now!

Didn't Thatcher teach you anything, morons?

[Prophet 451]

20. Apparently, not enough

You have to remember that Cameron (and I didn't vote for the smarmy bastard) campaigned as a moderate. He even promised "no return to Thatcherite policies". Of course, as soon as he got in, he unveiled a platform of measures more draconian than Thatcher ever dreamed of.

I haven't seen a popularity poll since the election but, based on what has been said to me, I would venture money that the Tories could not win an election if it was held today.

[area51]

14. In the U.S.,

letting private, for-profit companies write legislation has worked out so well. </sarcasm>

"We will never have real reform until people's health stops being treated as a financial opportunity for corporations."

"Any proposal that sticks with our current dependence on for-profit private insurers ... will not be sustainable. And the new law will not get us to universal coverage ...." -- T.R. Reid, The Healing of America

[Frisbee]

16. Straight from "The Onion".

What, it's NOT!

[Aaria]

18. And they should know the most about it.

[Prophet 451]

21. I wish I could be surprised

Sadly, the Tories slash-and-burn approach to governing has already become apparent.

[Politicub]

24. The UK is going the way of the U.S.

We've had industry writing our agriculture and FDA rules for decades.

[lunasun]

25. fianlly they understand over there that ketchup IS a vegetable!!! cadbury eggs contain real milk

you know....I am sure their meds are overseen by the drug co.s there since the taxpayers foot the bill

[Prophet 451]

26. Not yet but give the Tories time n/t