Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The manufacture of lifestyle: The role of corporations in unhealthy living

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Public Health Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Recently, researchers have debated two views on the connection between lifestyle and health. In the first, health-related lifestyles including tobacco and alcohol use, diet, and physical activity are seen as primary influences on health. In the second, social stratification is the dominant influence with lifestyles simply markers of social status. Neither approach leads to interventions that can reverse the world's most serious health problems. This article proposes that corporate practices are a dominant influence on the lifestyles that shape patterns of health and disease. Modifying business practices that promote unhealthy lifestyles is a promising strategy for improving population health. Corporations shape lifestyles by producing and promoting healthy or unhealthy products, creating psychological desires and fears, providing health information, influencing social and physical environments, and advancing policies that favor their business goals. Public officials and health professionals can promote health by advocating policies to modify these corporate practices.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • King, D.E., Mainous III, A.G., Carnemolla, M. and Everett, C.J. (2009) Adherence to healthy lifestyle habits in US adults, 1988–2006. The American Journal of Medicine 122 (6): 528–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cecchini, M., Sassi, F., Lauer, J.A., Lee, Y.Y., Guajardo-Barron, V. and Chisholm, D. (2010) Tackling of unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and obesity: Health effects and cost-effectiveness. The Lancet 376 (9754): 1775–1784.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drieskens, S., Van Oyen, H., Demarest, S., Van der Heyden, J., Gisle, L. and Tafforeau, J. (2009) Multiple risk behaviour: Increasing socio-economic gap over time? European Journal of Public Health 20 (6): 634–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2011) Fact sheet on obesity and overweight. Geneva, WHO, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Beaglehole, R. and Bonita, R. (2009) Alcohol: A global health priority. The Lancet 373 (9682): 2173–2174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2008) WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2008 – The MPOWER package. Geneva, WHO, http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/2008/en/index.html, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • World Health Organization. (2005) Preventing chronic diseases a vital investment. Geneva, WHO, http://www.who.int/chp/chronic_disease_report/en/, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Lindblom, C. (2001) The Market System: What It Is, How It Works, and What to Make of It. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berle, A.A. and Means, G.C. (1968) The Modern Corporation and Private Property. New York: Harcourt Brace & World.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, S. and Cavanagh, J. (2000) The Rise of Corporate Global Power 3, http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=377, accessed 1 March 2011.

  • Freudenberg, N. and Galea, S. (2008) The impact of corporate practices on health: Implications for health policy. Journal of Public Health Policy 29 (1): 86–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cross, G. (2000) An All-Consuming Century. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacLachlan, M. (2006) Culture and Health: A Critical Perspective Towards Global Health. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathers, J.C., Strathdee, G. and Relton, C.L. (2010) Induction of epigenetic alterations by dietary and other environmental factors. Advances in Genetics 71: 3–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, C.E., Mirowsky, J. and Goldsteen, K. (1990) The impact of the family on health: The decade in review. Journal of Marriage and the Family 52 (4): 1059–1078.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, D. (2009) The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. New York: Rodale Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farley, T.A., Baker, E.T., Futrell, L. and Rice, J.C. (2010) The ubiquity of energy-dense snack foods: A national multicity study. American Journal of Public Health 100 (2): 306–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ledikwe, J.H., Ello-Martin, J.A. and Rolls, B.J. (2005) Portion sizes and the obesity epidemic. Journal of Nutrition 135 (4): 905–909.

    Google Scholar 

  • Remig, V., Franklin, B., Margolis, S., Kostas, G., Nece, T. and Street, J.C. (2010) Trans fats in America: A review of their use, consumption, health implications, and regulation. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 110 (4): 585–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wayne, G.F. and Carpenter, C.M. (2009) Tobacco industry manipulation of nicotine dosing. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology 192: 457–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosher, J.F. and Johnsson, D. (2005) Flavored alcoholic beverages: An international marketing campaign that targets youth. Journal of Public Health Policy 26 (3): 326–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assadourian, E. (2006) Advertising spending sets another record. In: L. Starke (ed.) Vital Signs, 2006–2007. Washington DC: Worldwatch Institute, p. 55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradsher, K. (2002) High and Mighty SUVs: The World′s most Dangerous Vehicles and how They Got That Way. New York: Public Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donohue, J.M., Cevasco, M. and Rosenthal, M.B. (2007) A decade of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. The New England Journal of Medicine 357 (7): 673–681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, W.D., Kleit, A.N., Nietert, P.J., Steyer, T., McIlwain, T. and Ornstein, S. (2006) How direct-to-consumer television advertising for osteoarthritis drugs affects physicians’ prescribing behavior. Health Affairs (Millwood) 25 (5): 1371–1377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R.M., Gaines, J. and Hill, R.P. (2008) Neuromarketing and consumer free will. Journal of Consumer Affairs 42 (3): 389–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhushan, R. (2011) PepsiCo targeting mass marketing, will cater to different segments of consumers: Manu Anand. The Economic Times (Mumbai, India), 6 June.

  • Jernigan, D.H. (2009) The global alcohol industry: An overview. Addiction 104 (Suppl 1): 6–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, M. (2006) Appetite for Profit. New York: Nation Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glass, D. (2007) Gov. spending more than a billion dollars on nutrition education. A Moment of Science, http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/gov-spending-1billion-nutrition-education/#, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Brandt, A. (2007) The Cigarette Century. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, L.K., Edwards, K.L., Cade, J. and Clarke, G.P. (2010) The geography of fast food outlets: A review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7 (5): 2290–2308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, C.A. et al (2009) The effectiveness of limiting alcohol outlet density as a means of reducing excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 37 (6): 556–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles, M. and Miles, S. (2004) Consuming Cities. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freudenberg, N. and Galea, S. (2008) Cities of consumption: The impact of corporate practices on the health of urban populations. Journal of Urban Health 85 (4): 462–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle, J. (2000) Taken for a Ride. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hebdige, D. (1981) Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, S. and Conroy, T. (2011) Hip-hop culture in a global context: Interdisciplinary and cross-categorical investigation. American Behavioral Scientist 55 (January): 3–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leo Burnett Agency. (1968) Virginia Slims print advertisement. Legacy, http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/atg23e00/pdf?search=%22virginia%20slims%20vote%20lady%22, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Anderson, S.J. and Ling, P.M. (2008) ‘And they told two friends…and so on’: RJ Reynolds’ viral marketing of Eclipse and its potential to mislead the public. Tobacco Control 17 (4): 222–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2007) Industry relief about EU alcohol strategy, http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/industry-relief-eu-alcohol-strategy/article-159093, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Wilson, D. (2010) Cigarette giants in global fight on tighter rules. The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/business/global/14smoke.html, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Dreiling, M.C. (2000) The class embeddedness of corporate political action: Leadership in defense of the NAFTA. Social Problems 47 (1): 21–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes, C. (2006) Uneven dietary development: Linking the policies and processes of globalization with the nutrition transition, obesity and diet-related chronic diseases. Global Health 2 (4): 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coen, D. (1998) The European business interest and the nation state: Large-firm lobbying in the European Union and member states. Journal of Public Policy 18 (1): 75–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birnhaum, J. (2005) The road to riches is called k street. Lobbying firms hire more, pay more, charge more to influence government. The Washington Post, 22 June: A01.

  • Luke, D.A. and Krauss, M. (2004) Where there's smoke there's money: Tobacco industry campaign contributions and U.S. Congressional voting. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 27 (5): 363–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Price, J.H., Dake, J.A. and Thompson, A.J. (2002) Congressional voting behavior on firearm control legislation: 1993–2000. Journal of Community Health 27 (6): 419–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benach, J., Muntaner, C., Solar, O., Santana, V. and Quinlan, M. (2010) Conclusions and recommendations for the study of employment relations and health inequalities. International Journal of Health Services 40 (2): 315–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holdren, J., Tao, S. and Carpenter, D.O. (2008) Environment and health in the twenty-first century. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1140 (October): 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labonté, R. and Schrecker, T. (2007) Globalization and social determinants of health: The role of the global marketplace (part 2 of 3). Global Health 19 (3): 6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connor, John M. (2008) The changing structure of global food markets: Dimensions, effects, and policy implications. Social Science Research Network, http://ssrn.com/abstract=1105363, accessed 15 February 2011.

  • Mackay, J. and Eriksen, M. (2002) The Tobacco Atlas. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, p. 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrd-Bredbenner, C. and Grasso, D. (2000) Health, medicine, and food messages in television commercials during 1992 and 1998. Journal of School Health 70 (2): 61–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, B. et al (2010) Television food advertising to children: A global perspective. American Journal of Public Health 100 (9): 1730–1736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, P. et al (2011) Conflicts of interest and the UN high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases. Lancet, 15 September [Epub ahead of print].

  • Carande-Kulis, V., Getzen, T.E. and Thacker, S.B. (2007) Public goods and externalities: A research agenda for public health economics. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice 13 (2): 227–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peled, R. and Rabin, Y. (2010) The constitutional right to know. Columbia Human Rights Law Review 42 (2): 357–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott-Samuel, A. and O'Keefe, E. (2007) Health impact assessment, human rights and global public policy: A critical appraisal. Bull World Health Organ 85 (3): 212–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, R. (1977) You are dangerous to your health: The ideology and politics of victim blaming. International Journal of Health Services 7 (4): 663–680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, A.K., Green, M., Xiao, H., Sokol, N. and Vallone, D. (2010) Evidence for truth®: The young adult response to a youth-focused anti-smoking media campaign. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 39 (6): 500–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P., Zavestoski, S., McCormick, S., Mayer, B., Morello-Frosch, R and Gasior Altman, R. (2004) Embodied health movements: New approaches to social movements in health. Sociology of Health and Illness 26 (1): 50–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freudenberg, N., Bradley, S.P. and Serrano, M. (2009) Public health campaigns to change industry practices that damage health: An analysis of 12 case studies. Health Education & Behavior 36 (2): 230–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrick, C. (2009) Shifting blame/selling health: Corporate social responsibility in the age of obesity. Sociology of Health & Illness 31 (1): 51–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gostin, L.O. (2007) General justifications for public health regulation. Public Health 121 (11): 829–834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blouin, C. and Dubé, L. (2010) Global health diplomacy for obesity prevention: Lessons from tobacco control. Journal of Public Health Policy 31 (2): 244–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, 2180 Third Avenue, New York, 10035, NY, USA

    Nicholas Freudenberg

Authors
  1. Nicholas Freudenberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Corporate practices are a dominant influence on lifestyles that shape patterns of health and disease. Modifying business practices that promote unhealthy lifestyles is a promising strategy for improving population health.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Freudenberg, N. The manufacture of lifestyle: The role of corporations in unhealthy living. J Public Health Pol 33, 244–256 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2011.60

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2011.60

Keywords

Search

Navigation