In an international analysis of involvement by so-called
"unhealthy commodity" companies in health policy-making,
researchers from Australia, Britain, Brazil and elsewhere said
self-regulation was failing and it was time the industry was
regulated more stringently from outside. The researchers said
that through the aggressive marketing of ultra-processed food
and drink, multinational companies were now major drivers of the
world's growing epidemic of chronic diseases such as heart
disease, cancer and diabetes. Writing in The Lancet medical
journal, the researchers cited industry documents they said
revealed how companies seek to shape health legislation and
avoid regulation. This is done by "building financial and
institutional relations" with health professionals, non-
governmental organizations and health agencies, distorting
research findings, and lobbying politicians to oppose health
reforms, they said. They cited analysis of published research
which found systematic bias from industry funding: articles sp