1. Mike Rayner Director, CPNP
Centre on Population Approaches for
Non-Communicable Disease Prevention
Should public health also seek to improve planetary health and if so how?
Mike Rayner
Director, CPNP
FPH Annual Conference, June 2017, The International Centre, Telford

2. Should public health also seek to improve planetary health?
How important is deteriorating planetary health relative to other problems?
How should public health seek to improve planetary health?

3. Definitions of public health
‘The science and art of promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society.’ (FPH)
‘The science and art of promoting the health of societies, organizations, communities, families and other human groups through the organized efforts of societies, organizations, communities, families and other human groups’ (Mine)

4. Implications:
Health effects of climate change caused by changes in dietary and weight-related risk factors could be among the largest health impacts of climate change;
Impacts on composition of diets more important than changes in calorie availability in most regions;
Beyond climate change mitigation, attention needs to be paid to:
climate-proofing fruit and vegetable production
strengthening public health programmes focussed on diet and weight-related risk factors.
Source: Springmann M, Mason-D'Croz D, Robinson S, Garnett T, Godfray HC, Gollin D, Rayner M, Ballon P, Scarborough P. (2016). Global and regional health effects of future food production under climate change: a modelling study.. Lancet (London, England), 387(10031),

5. % change in consumption from a 20% tax on sugary drinks
All
SSBs (concentrated)
-14.8
SSBs (non-concentrated)
-16.0
Milk
3.7
Fruit juice
3.1
Diet soft drinks (concentrated)
7.5
Diet soft drinks (non-concentrated)
3.9
Tea and coffee
4.1
Other beverages
2.1
Beer
-0.1
Wine
-0.2
Other alcohol
Water
2.4 `
Age
Change in kcal/day
16-29
-13.5 (-15.4 to )
30-49
-3.1 (-4.2 to -2.0)
50+
+0.4 (-0.5 to +1.4)
Overall
-4.0 (-5.2 to -2.7)
Income gp 1
-4.6 (-7.0 to -1.8)
Income gp 2
-3.2 (-5.1 to -1.1)
Income gp 3
-5.5 (-7.5 to -3.6)
Source: Briggs et al. BMJ. 2013;347:f6189

7. The obesity system
From the work of the UK Government Science Office Foresight Program.

9. Should public health also seek to improve planetary health? Yes
How important is deteriorating planetary health relative to other problems? Moderately
How should public health seek to improve planetary health? We don’t know