“We interrupt our regular programming…”
Normally, Abbie and I write together. But, today, I, Yulia, am sharing a fun development with you. I recently gave a two-part interview to Melinda Hemmelgarn at Food Sleuth Radio. The first episode aired today.
So, I interrupt our usual written programming to bring to you our work in a new format: audio!
In part 1 of 2, Melinda and I get into “how commercial practices shape our health and environment through a food system lens,” including the “challenges parents face protecting their children from the forces of marketing.”
Coming back to my love for food systems
It was, of course, a wonderful opportunity to talk all things commercial determinants in food systems. As you may know, my academic and public health work is deeply rooted in trying to understand who gets to eat what, when, and how. And Abbie and I have published numerous pieces focusing on corporate power in food systems:
We connected the corporate dots on food systems fights, arguing for a united front on commercial determinants.
We showed how blaming mothers for kids’ diets lets industries off the hook in how they shape food environments, cultural practices, and kids’ desires.
We shared our analyses of how the gas stove serves as a microcosm into commercial tactics to delay public health action, how Instacart-funded food access studies predictably serve Instacart interests, and how food offerings to kids as captive audiences in places like the Lego Discovery Center promote poor diets.
It was so satisfying to dive into some of these topics in a real-life recorded conversation.
No need to be nervous
I am not going to lie, I was nervous. I’ve done one or two interviews here and there over the years. But that was before I identified commercial determinants as the issue that I want to dedicate my life to. So, this interview invitation felt like a big deal. It was a big deal! I’d get to talk about the work that I believe to be the most urgent of our time on a nationally syndicated community radio show and podcast.
I needn’t have worried, though. Interviewing with Melinda was an incredible experience. Her Food Sleuth Radio show proved to be the most gracious, welcoming, and generous host for our conversation.
“Why are harmful products legal?”
And Melinda asked really important questions. Some of them I didn’t fully answer. You know what it’s like when sometimes your best response comes to you well after you faced a question? I wrote a little bit about that in our When Marketing Kills piece back in April. Well, stay tuned for next week’s special newsletter edition where I will better answer in writing a question I didn’t really answer in person on Food Sleuth: Why are harmful products legal?
Enjoy the conversation!
In the meantime, enjoy the conversation! Let me know whether you heard it on your community radio station. And, as always, please share your thoughts, questions, and critiques: [email protected]
See you next week.
Yulia
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