Anne Marie Thow
Biographic Data
| ID | 1727637 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Anne Marie Thow |
| GIVEN NAMES | Anne Marie |
| FAMILY NAME | Thow |
| SIGNATURE | THOW A M |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Sydney |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6460-5864 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 117 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 35 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 117 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
SHAPE Asia
Rapidly changing Asian food environments characterized by increased availability of cheaper, energy-dense, and low-nutrient products, are negatively impacting nutritional and health outcomes. This paper introduces SHAPE Asia, a collaborative learning network of food environment interest-holders across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. These countries face significant regulatory challenges. Unregulated food marketing a…
Sodium content of Packaged foods in Uruguay by country of origin
Excessive sodium intake is a major public health concern. Many countries have implemented sodium reduction programs, including voluntary and mandatory reformulation strategies. However, these measures may have significant trade implications, particularly for countries reliant on food imports. This study examines the potential trade impact of sodium reduction policies in Uruguay, a small open economy in South America. For this purpose, the followi…
Leveraging the Potential of Public Food Procurement to Achieve Multiple Food System Outcomes
Government food procurement investment offers significant potential to advance health and sustainability goals; yet, integrating these dimensions into policy design has proved challenging. We mapped and analysed 38 food procurement and catering‐specific policies in Australia to identify ways to strengthen policy design: 20 governing institutional procurement in health and correctional services, 17 setting catering standards across public settings…
Reforming International Investment Treaty Practice
The Philip Morris lawsuits against Australia and Uruguay in the early 2010s highlighted the need to reform international investment agreement (IIA) practices to ensure that governments do not give up their regulatory autonomy for foreign investment. We undertook a policy analysis to reveal how interests, ideas and institutions shaped reform in IIA treaty practice to protect health policy autonomy in Australia and Uruguay after the Philip Morris i…
Financing food environments
This article explores the intersection of financialization and the commercial determinants of health (CDoH), with a focus on Australian food systems. While existing research highlights the food industry’s role in shaping dietary patterns and health outcomes, the financial sector’s influence on food systems governance remains underexamined. By investigating key actors in food systems investment policy and practice and the types of power they wield…
Policy lessons on fruits and vegetables from the Philippine high-value crops and organic agriculture programs
Low fruit and vegetable consumption is a major dietary risk factor globally, yet many countries, including the Philippines, under-prioritize this sector compared to staple crops. This study analyses the policy context for fruits and vegetables in the Philippines, focusing on the implementation of two key programs of the Department of Agriculture—the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP)—t…
Public perceptions of front-of-package warning label during policy design and implementation in Uruguay
Safeguarding health in bilateral investment treaties
BACKGROUND: The proliferation of International Investment Agreements (IIAs), as the result of globalization, has been identified as one of the factors contributing to policy inertia or chill on meaningful public health policy action. Health safeguards, i.e., specific clauses to protect the State's right to regulate, have been increasingly included in IIAs to protect health policy. However, an in-depth understanding of the processes involved in th…
Mainstreaming a gender perspective into food system policies for healthy diets in low- and middle-income countries
BACKGROUND: Globally, gender inequalities and inequities persist in the food system, with women lacking access to productive resources and decision-making roles. Policy can help address these issues, but the extent of gender consideration in policy in low- and middle-income countries remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to document how governments are addressing gender issues in food systems for healthy diets and suggest ways to enhance ge…
Vision, relationships, patience … and power
Sustainable Food System Chapters in Trade and Investment Agreements
The need to adapt existing global policy instruments to achieve sustainable development objectives is increasingly recognised worldwide. Responding to the global need to help countries progress towards transforming food systems, the EU proposed, negotiated and agreed to adopt a chapter dedicated to Sustainable Food Systems in its free trade agreement with New Zealand and its advanced framework agreement with Chile. This study aimed to identify th…
Political economy of tobacco tax in Bangladesh
Our findings illustrate a complex interplay of political economy factors that challenge the design and implementation of tobacco taxes in Bangladesh. Creating opportunities for consultation and collaboration between the Ministries of Finance and Health regarding the formulation of tobacco taxes will be very important. National action plans with multi-stakeholder involvement are essential to achieving tobacco control goals through actionable steps
A scoping review of assessment of front-of-pack labeling policy implementation and response in low-and middle-income countries
Objective: Despite growing front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) policy implementation in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), research approaches for evaluating these policies remain poorly characterized, hindering evidence-based policy development and methodological gaps. This study explored research approaches, frameworks, and methods used in assessing FOPL policy implementation and response in LMIC. Design: Systematic search of five databases, in…
The anti-politics of food in South Africa
Objective: To examine power and governance arrangements in food and nutrition policy formulation and agenda-setting in South Africa Design: Analysis of the policy implementation environment and in-depth interviews were conducted focussing on: existing policy content and priorities across food system sectors; institutional structures for cross-sectoral and external stakeholder engagement; exercise of power in relation to food system policies; and …
Looking towards the sweet, sweet future
Objective: To identify politico-economic factors relating to policy surrounding the production, processing and trade of sugar in Indonesia and identify strategies to support improved integration of national nutrition and food security priorities with respect to sugar. Design: This study was a qualitative policy analysis, informed by political economy and power analysis approaches and drawing on both documentary policy data and interviews. Setting…
Strategic Design of Public Food Procurement to Leverage Positive Food Systems Outcomes
There is substantial potential for the procurement of food by public institutions to contribute to Sustainable Development across multiple environmental, social, and economic outcomes. In this study we used theories of policy instrumentation and learning to analyse global guidance for designing public food procurement instruments to leverage positive food systems outcomes, with the aim of informing strategic policy design. We identified 15 discre…
From Ministries of Food to National Food System Committees
Transforming the ways food systems are governed is key to achieving better social, environmental, and economic outcomes, all crucial to sustainable development. Strong multisectoral governance is critical to achieving this, but there is little evidence on the structure and function of governance mechanisms in this context. We undertook a policy review of 197 countries globally to map existing multisectoral food system governance institutions, dev…
Identifying the factors influencing the development of bilateral investment treaties with health safeguards
A network analysis approach, complemented by machine learning (ML) techniques, is applied to analyse the factors influencing Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) at the country level. Using the Electronic Database of Investment Treaties, BITs with health safeguards from 167 countries were charted, resulting in 534 connections with countries as nodes and their BITs as edges. Network analysis found that, on average, a country established BITs with …
Dietary intake of low-income adults in South Africa
Objective: Given the rapidly changing food environment and proliferation of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in South Africa (SA), this study aimed to critically evaluate dietary quality and adequacy of low-income adults using the Nova classification system and WHO and World Cancer Research Fund dietary guidelines. Design: Secondary household data and 1-d 24-h recalls were analysed from two cross-sectional studies conducted in 2017–2018. Foods consume…
Strengthening the governance of food systems for nutrition in Africa
Objective: To examine underlying political economy factors that enable or impede the integration of nutrition considerations into food system governance. Design: Comparative political economy analysis of data collected through (1) value chain analyses of selected healthy and unhealthy commodities and (2) food system policy analyses, using a theoretical framework focused on power, politics, interests and ideas. Setting: Ghana and South Africa. Par…
Why health systems cannot fix problems caused by food systems
Overweight and obesity now impact one-third of the entire adult population globally, and play a role in the development of 3 of the 4 more common causes of death. Accountability systems for obesity prevention centring on food environment policies and health system strengthening have been vital for raising awareness to the lack of progress in prevention. However, health systems have struggled to prevent and treat obesity – in part because critical…
Background commentary on the Researching the Obesogenic Food Environment (Rofe) project
Objective: The objective of this commentary is to provide an overview of the rationale and objectives of the Researching the Obesogenic Food Environment (ROFE) project that was conducted in Ghana and South Africa. Design: Narration has been used to describe the main objectives, phases as well as the methods used for the conduct of this project. Setting: The project described in this commentary was conducted in Khayelitsha and Mount Frere in South…
Enhancing global support to address complex sustainable development policy challenges
Malnutrition is hampering achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and requires policy approaches that address food system drivers. However, this will require the adoption of cross‐sectoral policy measures for nutrition, which has proved challenging in practice. This qualitative co‐designed study drew on theories of policy learning to examine the roles of global organisations in fostering and supporting effective cross‐sectoral po…
Defining and conceptualising the commercial determinants of health
Protecting children from unhealthy food marketing
Restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children is a globally recommended policy measure to improve diets and health. The aim of the analysis was to identify opportunities to enable policy learning and shift beliefs of relevant actors, to engender policy progress on restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods to children. We drew on the Advocacy Coalition Framework to thematically analyse data from qualitative policy inter…
Neoliberal discourse, actor power, and the politics of nutrition policy
Unhealthy diets are increasing contributors to poor health and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Government interventions targeting the structural drivers of unhealthy diets are needed to prevent these illnesses, including nutrition labelling regulations that create healthier food environments. Yet, implementation remains slow and uneven. One explanation for slow implementation highlights the role of politics, including power…
Trade and food policy
Explaining resistance to regulatory interventions to prevent obesity and improve nutrition
How can health, agriculture and economic policy actors work together to enhance the external food environment for fruit and vegetables? A qualitative policy analysis in India
The benefits of fruit and vegetables are well established, particularly their role in preventing general micronutrient-deficiencies and chronic diseases. However, global food systems are not delivering diverse and high quality diets: healthy food is unavailable and too expensive for many. Creating food environments that foster consumer access to fruit and vegetables will require coordinated policy action across sectors, mostly outside of the heal…
Framing health for land-use planning legislation
Catalysing sustainable development through regional food system governance
Recent food system shocks and increasing climate change exposures highlight the urgency of strengthening food systems at different scales, including global, regional and national, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper investigated opportunities to strengthen the translation of regional food system policy guidance to the national level in the Pacific Island region. We applied a theory‐informed, empirical study design, based on i…
A conceptual framework for investigating the impacts of international trade and investment agreements on noncommunicable disease risk factors
We developed a conceptual framework exploring pathways between trade and investment and noncommunicable disease (NCD) outcomes. Despite increased knowledge of the relevance of social and structural determinants of health, the discourse on NCD prevention has been dominated by individualizing paradigms targeted at lifestyle interventions. We situate individual risk factors, alongside key social determinants of health, as being conditioned and const…
The interface between international trade and investment agreements and food environment policymaking
Addressing the global challenge of malnutrition in all its forms will require policy measures to improve food environments, yet progress has been patchy and often slow, particularly for regulatory measures. International trade and investment agreements (TIAs) may limit governments' “policy space” for public health regulation. Constraints have been particularly apparent for public health measures targeting unhealthy commodities, including ultra-pr…
Implications of the Central America-Dominican Republic-Free Trade Agreement for the nutrition transition in Central America
CAFTA-DR is likely to further the nutrition transition in Central America by increasing the consumption of meat; highly processed foods; and new, non-traditional foods. The public health community should be more aware of the implications of trade agreements for dietary health. Governments and related stakeholders should assess the coherence between changes fostered by specific trade agreements with national policies on diet and nutrition
The implications of trade liberalization for diet and health
BACKGROUND: Central America has undergone extensive trade liberalization over the past two decades, and has recently signed a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. The region is also experiencing a dual burden of malnutrition with the growth of dietary patterns associated with the global 'nutrition transition'. This study describes the relationship between trade liberalization policies and food imports and availability, and draws implicati…
Trade liberalisation and the nutrition transition
Objective To describe pathways through which trade liberalisation affects the food environment, relevant to the nutrition transition, in order to enable public health nutritionists to understand trade policy as a macro-level influence on food consumption. Design The pathways mapped in the present paper are based on the agreements of the World Trade Organization, which shape national policy. Implications for nutrition are presented based on a comp…
Trade and food policy
Taxing soft drinks in the Pacific
A tax on soft drinks is often proposed as a health promotion strategy for reducing their consumption and improving health outcomes. However, little is known about the processes and politics of implementing such taxes. We analysed four different soft drink taxes in Pacific countries and documented the lessons learnt regarding the process of policy agenda-setting and implementation. While local social and political context is critically important i…
The global context for public health nutrition taxation
Objective To assess critically the scope for public health nutrition taxation within the framework of the global tax reform agenda. Design Review of the tax policy literature for global policy priorities relevant to public health nutrition taxation; critical analysis of proposals for public health nutrition taxation judged against the global agenda for tax reform. Setting The global tax reform agenda shapes decisions of tax policy makers in all c…
Trade and the Nutrition Transition
This article describes pathways through which trade policy change in two Pacific Island countries has contributed to changes in the food supply, and thereby to the nutrition transition. The effect of various trade policies from 1960 to 2005 on trends in food imports and availability is described, and case studies are presented for four foods associated with the nutrition transition and chronic disease in the Pacific. Trade policies (including lib…
A new generation of trade policy
Trade poses risks and opportunities to public health nutrition. This paper discusses the potential food-related public health risks of a radical new kind of trade agreement: the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). Under negotiation since 2010, the TPP involves Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the USA, and Vietnam. Here, we review the international evidence on the relationships between…
Reformulating partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to maximise health gains in India
Reformulating PHVOs to reduce trans fat in India is feasible; however, a collision course exists where the public health goal to replace PHVOs with PUFA are opposed to the goals of industry to produce a cheap alternative product that meets consumer preferences. Ensuring that product reformulation is done in a way that maximises health benefits will require shifts in knowledge and subsequent demand of products, decreased reliance on palm oil, inve…
From Denmark to Delhi
Objective India has proposed legislating an upper limit of trans fat in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and mandating trans fat labelling in an effort to reduce intakes. The objective of the present study was to examine the complexities of regulating trans fat in India by examining the policy processes involved and the perceived implementation challenges. Design Semi-structured interviews ( n 18) were conducted with key informants from vari…
A systematic review of the effectiveness of food taxes and subsidies to improve diets
Development, implementation and outcome of standards to restrict fatty meat in the food supply and prevent NCDs
This study indicates that the use of standards can reduce availability of high-fat meat in a national food supply. The main strength of a standards approach to reducing fatty meat (mainly imported) in the food supply is compliance with global trade law, while the main challenge is effective enforcement. However, the Government of Ghana appears to have developed a functional and flexible application of the policy. Features of this policy approach …
Global sugar guidelines
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Smart food policies for obesity prevention
Aligning food-processing policies to promote healthier fat consumption in India
India is undergoing a shift in consumption from traditional foods to processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) high in trans-fat are often used in processed foods in India given their low cost and extended shelf life. The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of PHVOs from the global food supply and recommends their replacement with polyunsaturated fat to maximize health benefits…
Regional trade and the nutrition transition
BACKGROUND: Addressing diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will require a multisectoral policy approach that includes the food supply and trade, but implementing effective policies has proved challenging. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has experienced significant trade and economic liberalization over the past decade; at the same time, the nutrition transition has progressed rapidly in the region. This analysis consid…
Protocol for a cluster-randomised trial to determine the effects of advocacy actions on the salt content of processed foods
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02373423. 26/02/2015
Identifying the Barriers and Opportunities for Enhanced Coherence between Agriculture and Public Health Policies
The national Government of India has published draft regulation proposing a 5% upper limit of trans fat in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs). Global recommendations are to replace PHVOs with unsaturated fat but it is not known whether this will be feasible in India. We systematically identified policy options to address the three major underlying agricultural sector issues that influence reformulation with healthier oils: the low prod…
The feasibility of multisectoral policy options aimed at reducing trans fats and encouraging its replacement with healthier oils in India
INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization recommends replacement of trans fat with polyunsaturated fat to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Although several high-income countries have been successful in reducing trans fat in the food supply, low- and middle-income countries such as India may face additional contextual challenges such as the large informal sector, lack of consumer awareness, less enforcement capacity and low availability and a…
Policy coherence, health and the sustainable development goals
The international community, comprised of national governments, multilateral agencies and civil society organisations, has recently negotiated a set of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to replace the Millennium Development Goals, which expired in 2015. For progress in implementing the SDGs, ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development will be essential. We conducted a health impact assessment to identify potential …
Shaping the discourse
The Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP), emblematic of the new generation of free trade agreements, is a regional agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries. This paper reports on a study into how the food industry has framed issues in an effort to influence the TPP. We undertook a thematic analysis of the issues raised in publicly available submissions by the food industry to the trade negotiating bodies of four TPP countries: Australia, New…
Framing health for land-use planning legislation
Nutrition labelling is a trade policy issue
Interpretive nutrition labels provide simplified nutrient-specific text and/or symbols on the front of pre-packaged foods, to encourage and enable consumers to make healthier choices. This type of labelling has been proposed as part of a comprehensive policy response to the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases. However, regulation of nutrition labelling falls under the remit of not just the health sector but also trade. Specific Trade Con…
Monitoring the impact of trade agreements on national food environments
BACKGROUND: Trade agreements are increasingly recognised as playing an influential role in shaping national food environments and the availability and nutritional quality of the food supply. Global monitoring of food environments and trade policies can strengthen the evidence base for the impact of trade policy on nutrition, and support improved policy coherence. Using the INFORMAS trade monitoring protocol, we reviewed available food supply data…
Policy content and stakeholder network analysis for infant and young child feeding in Bangladesh
Although there is strong supportive policy environment for IYCF, it is important that policies cover all populations. Our analysis indicated that opportunities to strengthen the policy environment include: expanding population coverage, increasing inter-sector coordination, improving translation of policy objectives to implementation-level documents, and the engagement of non-public sectors. In addition, we recommend explicit strategies to engage…
Business (85 works) · Economics (82 works) · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology (79 works) · Political science (70 works) · Medicine (62 works) · Economic growth (54 works) · Public health (40 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (38 works) · Environmental health (35 works) · Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling (32 works)