Understanding the contributions of farm and food policy to childhood obesity and non-infectious diseases: A systems approach

A systems approach is useful for understanding the public health impacts of the industrialization of farming and food production over recent decades. Characteristic of industrialized operations are a larger scale of production, an emphasis on yield or quantity over other criteria, increased specialization and intensive use of energy and off-farm chemical inputs. Evidence will be discussed that industrialization has had some important negative impacts on certain indicators of public health, including the epidemic of childhood obesity and related disease, such as type II diabetes, and antimicrobial resistance. In March 2007, leaders in childhood obesity, public health, medicine and sustainable agriculture gathered at the Wingspread Conference Center to examine evidence that existing federal farm and food policies contribute to food-related health concerns in communities, especially including childhood obesity. One particular link examined was that between Americans' excess consumption of added sweeteners and added fats, and farm policies encouraging production of the commodity crops later made into these sweeteners and fats. Designing alternative farm and food policies, with explicit public health goals, holds some promise as a strategy for more effectively meeting the challenge of childhood obesity, antimicrobial resistance, lack of access to fresh produce and other public health needs.