Tobacco industry use of diet and obesity issues
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Tobacco-related diseases such as cancer, emphysema, and heart disease “compete” for public attention with many other health risks, such as AIDS and breast cancer. Diseases are considered important not just because of how common or how life-threatening they are, but because researchers, patients, health professionals, and industries attempt to raise or diminish awareness of them. The tobacco industry has a long history of attempting to affect how people think about the diseases caused by smoking, by claiming that researchers were unsure whether smoking caused cancer, for example. Lately, obesity and nutrition issues have been getting more attention. Obesity is an important health risk, and it also presents an opportunity for the tobacco industry to distract attention from tobacco-related diseases. The industry may use the fact that both smoking and overweight are risk factors for heart disease and stroke to question whether tobacco-control programs are the “best” way to combat these problems. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Another link between obesity and smoking issues is the tendency of many smokers to gain weight as they quit smoking. The tobacco industry has also used this tendency in advertising, by using words like “slim” and “thin” to remind smokers that weight gain may be a consequence of quitting. Some people, especially young women, are known to use smoking to help them control their weight, and some do not want to quit for fear of gaining weight. As the health risks of obesity are publicized, people may wonder whether it is better to stop smoking or to diet. The food industry has been found to encourage confusion over what constitutes a healthy diet in order to maintain profits, much as the tobacco industry has spread doubt over the risks of smoking. The combination of food and tobacco industry attempts to confuse people has great potential to stymie smoking prevention and cessation efforts. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The tobacco industry may also use obesity, overweight, and dietary issues in other areas, to redirect both policy concern and research funds away from tobacco control. The tobacco industry has already used obesity and nutrition issues to affect policy issues. The industry presents clean indoor air laws as the first step down a “slippery slope” leading to government restrictions on food choice for the sake of health. These arguments may be more convincing as popular and scientific literature talk about sweets or fats as being “addictive.” Nutrition advocates are also beginning to explore these links and look to tobacco control successes as a model. For instance, some attempts are being made to sue the fast-food industry for promoting unhealthy food and eating habits. These efforts may backfire if the tobacco industry attempts to turn obesity into a competing health concern, distracting people from tobacco issues. This study will address these issues by (1) analyzing internal tobacco industry documents to describe the tobacco industry’s interests and activities pertaining to issues of obesity and diet and (2) examining major newspapers and magazines to determine whether and how obesity, diet, and nutrition issues are linked in the popular press. Analysis of industry activities and how obesity and tobacco-related issues compete with or complement one another will allow tobacco control advocates to better counter industry efforts, and more effectively work with nutrition advocates.