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Thomas A. Pearson The Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease: Have We Really Made Progress? Health Affairs, January/February 2007; 26(1): 49-60. [Abstract] [Full Text] [Figures Only] [PDF] [Reprints & Permissions]

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Ecological Prevention

Bradford L. Kirkman-Liff   ( 9 January 2007 )

Ecological Prevention 9 January 2007
Bradford L. Kirkman-Liff, Professor of Health Policy and Biotechnology W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University Send comment to journal: Re: Ecological Prevention bradford.kirkman.liff{at}asu.edu Bradford L. Kirkman-Liff	Cardiovascular disease is clearly related to obesity, which in turn is related to excessive caloric consumption. Consumers eat too much because they do not know the caloric content of the food they are purchasing, due to the lack of information. Obesity is also related to the undertreatment of compulsive overeating. Cardiovascular disease can be prevented by the following: (1) Mandate that all restaurants list the total calories and calories from fat from their menu items in equal-size typeface next to the prices of their food items on their menus. (2) More nutritious choices in workplace dining facilities and more nutritional educational materials. (3) Impose a saturated fat tax on food based on their fat content, raising the prices to consumers for the purchase of those foods. (4) Greater hosting of Overeaters Anonymous sessions at workplaces so that employees can attend those meetings. (5) Direct confrontation of organizations such as the Center for Consumer Freedom, which argue that “promoting personal responsibility and protecting consumer choice” must take priority of over ecological, public health approaches to disease prevention that would also impact the profitability of their corporate sponsors.