At the Todo Juntos Contra O Cancer (Together Against Cancer) conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil last week, several presenters explored the role of the food, alcohol and tobacco industries in non-communicable diseases in Brazil and elsewhere. The moderator of the panel was Claudia Collucci, a reporter for Folha de Sao Paulo, a major Brazilian newspaper. The panel at this session included:
Professor Carlos A. Monteiro, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, who spoke on Ultra-processed foods and health, exploring the need for public policies to reduce the proportion of calories derived from ultra-processed foods;
Dr. Maristela Monteiro, Senior Advisor for Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Pan American Health Organization, who spoke on Alcohol as a risk factor for public health in the Americas , an overview of the burden of disease imposed by alcohol and the policies used to reduce this burden.
Paula Johns, Executive Director, ACT – Alliance for the Control of Tobacco Use, Brazil, who spoke on Success and challenges in tobacco control, a look at the challenges faced and strategies employed to curb smoking prevalence in Brazil.
Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health at City University of New York, who spoke on Changing the Practices of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Automotive, and Food Industries to Prevent Noncommunicable Diseases, an examination of the role of corporate business and political practices on NCDs.
Corporations and Health Watch 