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Elizabeth A. Smith, PhD, Dept of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0612, San Francisco, CA 94143-0612, 415-502-5238, libbys@itsa.ucsf.edu
Nutrition advocates have begun to look to tobacco control for tactics. However, tobacco industry documents reveal that the tobacco industry also uses obesity and diet issues in their effort to manipulate public understanding and health policy. In the 1990s, Philip Morris created the group ARISE (Associates for Research in Substance Enjoyment) which created and publicized research that (1) promoted smoking as a pleasure that enhanced and thus prolonged life, (2) normalized smoking by suggesting its health risks were comparable to those of eating and drinking, and (3) minimized tobacco’s addictiveness by suggesting it be used “in moderation”. The industry has also long exploited the tendency to gain weight during smoking cessation in advertising. Public confusion over the relative risks of overweight and smoking works to the advantage of the tobacco industry. The food industry has also been found to encourage confusion over diet to maintain its profits, much as the tobacco industry has spread doubt over the risks of smoking. The combination of these campaigns has potential to stymie smoking prevention and cessation efforts. The adoption of tobacco control strategies and arguments by food policy activists could have serious repercussions for tobacco control and nutrition advocacy. For instance, claims of the “addictive” qualities of food may strengthen tobacco industry claims that quitting smoking is no harder than forgoing fast food. The framing of tobacco and nutrition issues is particularly important given the tobacco industry’s expertise in using public relations and framing health concerns to its own advantage.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
Keywords: Tobacco Industry, Obesity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.