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Generating political priority for regulatory interventions targeting obesity prevention: an Australian case study

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  • Baker, Phillip
  • Gill, Timothy
  • Friel, Sharon
  • Carey, Gemma
  • Kay, Adrian

Abstract

Effective obesity prevention requires a synergistic mix of population-level interventions including a strong role for government and the regulation of the marketing, labelling, content and pricing of energy-dense foods and beverages. In this paper we adopt the agenda of the Australian Federal Government (AFG) as a case study to understand the factors generating or hindering political priority for such ‘regulatory interventions’ between 1990 and 2011. Using a theoretically-guided process tracing method we undertook documentary analysis and conducted 27 interviews with a diversity of actors involved in obesity politics. The analysis was structured by a theoretical framework comprising four dimensions: the power of actors involved; the ideas the actors deploy to interpret and portray the issue; the institutional and political context; and issue characteristics. Despite two periods of sustained political attention, political priority for regulatory interventions did not emerge and was hindered by factors from all four dimensions. Within the public health community, limited cohesion among experts and advocacy groups hampered technical responses and collective action efforts. An initial focus on children (child obesity), framing the determinants of obesity as ‘obesogenic environments’, and the deployment of ‘protecting kids’, ‘industry demonization’ and ‘economic costs’ frames generated political attention. Institutional norms within government effectively selected out regulatory interventions from consideration. The ‘productive power’ and activities of the food and advertising industries presented formidable barriers, buttressed by a libertarian/neolibertarian rhetoric emphasizing individual responsibility, a negative view of freedom (as free from ‘nanny-state’ intervention) and the idea that regulation imposes an unacceptable cost on business. Issue complexity, the absence of a supportive evidence base and a strict ‘evidence-based’ policy-making approach were used as rationales to defer political priority. Overcoming these challenges may be important to future collective action efforts attempting to generate and sustain political priority for regulatory interventions targeting obesity.

Suggested Citation

  • Baker, Phillip & Gill, Timothy & Friel, Sharon & Carey, Gemma & Kay, Adrian, 2017. "Generating political priority for regulatory interventions targeting obesity prevention: an Australian case study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 141-149.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:177:y:2017:i:c:p:141-149
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.047
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jeremy Shiffman & Stephanie Smith, 2007. "Generation of Political Priority for Global Health Initiatives: A Framework and Case Study of Maternal Mortality," Working Papers 129, Center for Global Development.
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    5. Henderson, Julie & Coveney, John & Ward, Paul & Taylor, Anne, 2009. "Governing childhood obesity: Framing regulation of fast food advertising in the Australian print media," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 1402-1408, November.
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    1. Brydie Clarke & Janelle Kwon & Boyd Swinburn & Gary Sacks, 2021. "Understanding the dynamics of obesity prevention policy decision-making using a systems perspective: A case study of Healthy Together Victoria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Ebony Yin & Adrian J. Cameron & Sally Schultz & Christine M. White & Lana Vanderlee & David Hammond & Gary Sacks, 2023. "Public Support for Nutrition-Related Actions by Food Companies in Australia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Findings from the 2020 International Food Policy Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Boswell, John & Cairney, Paul & St Denny, Emily, 2019. "The politics of institutionalizing preventive health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 202-210.
    4. Barlow, P. & Thow, A.M., 2021. "Neoliberal discourse, actor power, and the politics of nutrition policy: A qualitative analysis of informal challenges to nutrition labelling regulations at the World Trade Organization, 2007–2019," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    5. Sainsbury, Emma & Magnusson, Roger & Thow, Anne-Marie & Colagiuri, Stephen, 2020. "Explaining resistance to regulatory interventions to prevent obesity and improve nutrition: A case-study of a sugar-sweetened beverages tax in Australia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    6. Clarke, Brydie & Swinburn, Boyd & Sacks, Gary, 2020. "Understanding the LiveLighter® obesity prevention policy processes: An investigation using political science and systems thinking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).

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