A new Series published in The Lancet describes how, although commercial entities can contribute positively to health and society, the products and practices of some commercial actors are responsible for escalating rates of avoidable ill health, planetary damage, and social and health inequity. Authors make key recommendations to ensure that contemporary capitalism is compatible with good population health.

The industries that produce just four harmful products—tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food, and fossil fuels—account for at least a third of global deaths, illustrating the scale and huge economic cost of the problem.

Professor Rob Moodie, Series Lead and Professor of Public Health Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, says, “We all want to be part of a society that’s safe, happy and healthy but this will only happen when governments make the health of people and the planet a higher priority than profit. This series isn’t anti-business, it’s pro-health. It’s important that we acknowledge that many businesses play vital roles in society, but we also need to recognize the practices and products of some are making people and […]