The Politics of Fat - People, Power and Food and Nutrition Policy

Exploring the link between politics and the food chain, this text focuses on the issue of dietary fat content. It examines the politics of food assistance programmes, agricultural policy, food content, dietary change, and considers the costs and benefits of government intervention/nonintervention.

List of contents

PART I. OVERVIEW AND APPROACH Chapter 1. Dietary Fat as a Public Policy Issue Chapter 2. Policy Making-The Art of Sausage Making PART II. PUBLIC POLICY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM Chapter 3. Public Policy and Bureaucracy in the Food System PART III. IMPLEMENTING PUBLIC POLICY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM Chapter 4. The Production of Fat Down on the Farm: How Much Do Federal Agricultural Policies Really Matter? Chapter 6. Government's Role in Food Marketing: Regulatory Approvals in the Food System Chapter 7. Government as a Provider of Dietary Advice PART IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Chapter 8. The Politics of Fat: What Have We Learned and Where Should We Be Headed?

About the author

Laura S. Sims

Summary

Politics pervades every link in the food chain from the farm to the fork. It influences what foods we eat, how much they cost, what we know about them, and how safe they are. This book brings the point home by focusing on the vexing issue of dietary fat content - known to be a health menace but also an ingredient in many or most of our best-loved foods. Through this prism, Dr. Sims explores the politics of food assistance programmes (with a case study of the National School Lunch programme); agricultural policy (for example, the price premium paid to farmers for milk with high butterfat content); food content (with case studies of food labelling and the approval process for fat substitutes); and dietary change (with a case study of nutrition education programmes). The book concludes with consideration of the costs and benefits of government intervention and nonintervention in food policy from the supply side to the demand side and its consequences for human health (and happiness). "The Politics of Fat" shows how government policy affects not only breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also our between-meal snacks; explores the nexus of health policy and agricultural policy from price supports to trade policy; and is written in an accessible style enlivened by discussion-provoking case studies.

Product details

• Authors: Laura S. Sims, Sims Laura S.
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.11.1997
• EAN: 9780765601933
• ISBN: 978-0-7656-0193-3
• No. of pages: 328
• Weight: 453 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; USA, Anthropology, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Policy, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / General, MEDICAL / Nutrition, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Manufacturing, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / National, Dietetics & nutrition, Social issues & processes, United States of America, USA, Dietetics and nutrition, Social and ethical issues, Central / national / federal government policies, Manufacturing industries, Central government policies, Food Manufacturing & Related Industries, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Health Care