'Public policies are subsidising ill-health', says new book

The problem of rising numbers of heart disease in the country cannot just be tackled by the health sector alone as wrong policies in many other areas are also contributing to risk factors, a new book on heart diseases and public policies revealed.
The government through its heart-unfriendly policies is boosting key risk factors of heart disease, says book 'Know Your Heart: The Hidden Links Between Your Body and the Politics of the State', written by New Delhi-based science journalist Dinesh C Sharma.
The book will be formally released here tomorrow.
The book "exposes" how wrong government policies are actually subsidising ill-health, particularly risk factors of heart disease.

"On one hand we have major risk factors- unhealthy foods, tobacco and physical inactivity among others, and health experts telling us reduce these risk factors to fight heart disease, on the other hand we have government policies which are actively subsidising these very risk factors," Sharma said while explaining the theme of the book.
He said all public policies are supposed to be directed towards reducing tobacco consumption, but government of India actively promotes tobacco research, marketing and even gives annual awards to cigarette and gutkha companies through agencies like Directorate of Tobacco Development and Tobacco Board.

Government policies are also aimed at giving subsidies and grants to companies that produce junk food products and propagate the messages that processed food are better than freshly cooked food, he said.

Similarly, public policies discourage cycling, walking and other physical activities while actively supporting motorisation and subsidises use of personal transport, Sharma added.
"The least the government can do is stop subsidising tobacco and junk food, and begin health promotion," he said.