I don't always have time to read as much as I want to about topics close to my heart, like commercial determinants, food systems transformation, and the power of systems thinking, networks, and collective impact.
But I do have time to listen. Driving, shopping, cooking, exercising, showering. All lend themselves to learning and staying up to date through my ears.
And it turns out that there is plenty of content on the "commercial determinants of health" (CDOH) in the Podcast world. Below are a few episodes for those looking for a great listen on the topic:
Image Source: Voices of the Health Revolution Podcast
One of the first resources I share with people who are curious about to CDOH is The Lancet 2023 special issue on the topic. It provides a great orientation to the latest thinking in the field, including a comprehensive CDOH framework. I love that you can also hear about the special issue from the authors who wrote it in a 2024 episode “Spotlighting the Commercial Determinants of Health” of the Voices of the Health Revolution podcast from the NCD Alliance. Listen to Sharon Friel, Anna Gilmore and Jennifer Lacy-Nichols talk about "how the products made by commercial actors, and the processes they use in making them, affect people’s health, and how we might start to reduce those impacts."
Image Source: Money, Power, Health Podcast
Nason Maani, a leading CDOH scholar, covers a range of scholarship in the area by interviewing researchers and others in the field in his podcast Money, Power, Health. The latest episode on "Industry-funded school education programmes" with May van Schalkwyk delves into the obvious and not-so-obvious outcomes of school-based health education initiatives that are sponsored by commercial interests. Other episodes cover commercial influences in alcohol, gambling, and firearm industries, in science and public health, through social media and public relations, and more. Be sure to listen to the end for a little extra delight as each episode is verbally signed out by Dr. Maani's son.
Image Source: RCP Medicine Podcast
While primarily catering to physicians as an audience, The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Medicine Podcast delves into CDOH in "Episode 75: Health Inequalities and Corporate Influence: Unveiling the Food Industry's Impact." In their own words, the "episode focuses on the food industry, examining how corporate actions like product design, marketing, and lobbying can negatively impact public health."
If after listening to the above you still want more, search for "commercial determinants of health" in your podcast app and explore away. If you know of any other great auditory resources covering CDOH, send them our way!
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