Elizabeth Dowler | University of Warwick (original) (raw)

Papers by Elizabeth Dowler

Public Health Nutrition, 2001

Public Health Nutrition, Apr 1, 2001

The contribution of food, nutrition and physical activity to inequalities in health across Europe... more The contribution of food, nutrition and physical activity to inequalities in health across Europe is largely unexplored. This paper summarizes cross sectional survey data on food patterns and nutrient intakes, and briefer data on physical activity, by various indicators of socioeconomic status for countries across Europe. Factors are examined which underlie the outcome data seen. These include structural and material conditions and circumstances which contribute to excluding sociodemographic groups from participating in mainstream patterns of living. Trends in social and economic conditions, and their implications for nutritional and physical wellbeing are briefly outlined.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply t... more The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use. The views expressed by authors, editors, or expert groups do not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the World Health Organization.

This book offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective on tackling health inequalities in a rich... more This book offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective on tackling health inequalities in a rich country, examining the New Labour policy agenda for tackling health inequalities and its inherent challenges.

The Sociological Review, 2009

Food' is essentially a biological entity, consumed by living creatures: plants, fungi, fish, anim... more Food' is essentially a biological entity, consumed by living creatures: plants, fungi, fish, animals or their products, are processed by various means at domestic or factory sites to produce the cornucopia of dishes, cuisines and ways of eating which have long characterized food systems (Tansey and Worsley, 1995; Beardsworth and Keil, 1997). A marked feature of the modern global food system is its divorcing of foodstuffs from the biological: increasingly, food is an industrialized product of global capitalism. Thus the drive is to make it uniform (remove as much natural variation as possible-carrots are always orange, and largely taste the same), safe (containing as few pathogens or contaminants as possible, and as good for consumer health as possible with minimum effort on the consumers' part) and predictable in processing, appearance, cost, preparation and taste. These attributes apply to raw ingredients (such as vegetables, fruit, meat) as much as to processed foodstuffs (whether longstanding and familiar such as bread, or newer, ready prepared dishes) (see for example Tansey and Worsley, 1995; Lawrence, 2004; Steel, 2008). Furthermore, this separation contributes to the emotional, intellectual and cultural distancing which people experience in their understanding of and relationship to food, a circumstance lamented by primary producers and policy makers and subject to growing academic attention (eg Cook

Studies in Christian Ethics, 2003

Sociologia Ruralis, 2007

Modes of food production–consumption defined as ‘alternative’ have received considerable academic... more Modes of food production–consumption defined as ‘alternative’ have received considerable academic attention, with studies exploring both their potential for contributing to rural development strategies and the opportunities they provide for countering established power relations in food supply systems. However, the use of the term ‘alternative’ as part of a persistent dualism in which it is opposed to the ‘conventional’ is problematic as it loses sight of the specificity of different examples food production–consumption. Based on extensive field research with a series of very different food projects, this article develops a methodological framework which structures a description of how specific examples of food production–consumption are organised with reference to a series of analytical fields. This framework retains a sense of the diversity and particularity of particular cases of production–consumption, and directs attention to the particular locations of resistance to prevalent ...

Social Policy and Administration, 2002

Social policy and food/nutrition are both to some extent contested disciplines and areas for inte... more Social policy and food/nutrition are both to some extent contested disciplines and areas for intervention. The role of food in poverty definition and measurement by experts and within the lived experience by those defined poor, has been a neglected component of disciplinary study and focused policy response in Britain in the latter half of the twentieth century. This paper explores the historical and contemporary complementarities and challenges, and examines some of the consequences poor people face because society has ignored the social aspects of nutritional needs, and the nutritional contributions to poverty definition and interventions. Current policy initiatives in the health, food and social sectors in Britain are briefly reviewed and their potential shortcomings discussed.

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2008

Members of low-income households in the UK are more likely to have patterns of food and nutrient ... more Members of low-income households in the UK are more likely to have patterns of food and nutrient intakes that are less inclined to lead to good health outcomes in the short and long term. Health inequalities, including the likelihood of child and adulthood obesity, have long been documented in the UK and show little sign of improving so far, despite 10 years of attention from a government that has committed itself to addressing them. Following the Acheson Inquiry into Inequalities in Health (1998) in England a number of initiatives to tackle inequalities in food and diet were established, both nationally and within the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, until recently, there has been no overall strategic policy addressing the food and nutritional needs of low-income households. The present paper reviews how the problems have been constructed and understood and how they have been addressed, briefly drawing on recent evaluations of food and nutriti...

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2012

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1992

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1993

Nutrition Research Reviews, 2007

Diet is an important factor in the causation of cancer. Previous systematic reviews of one-to-one... more Diet is an important factor in the causation of cancer. Previous systematic reviews of one-to-one interventions to encourage dietary change have found that such interventions can achieve modest improvements in diet. However, such interventions are resource intensive and unlikely to be good value for money at a population level. Interventions that address groups, communities or whole populations may be less resource intensive and effect change in a wider population. We report a systematic review of such interventions. We set wide inclusion criteria, including before-and-after studies and studies with a non-randomized comparison group as well as randomized trials. We found eighteen studies based in the community, seventeen based on worksites, five based in churches and one based in a supermarket. Interventions which targeted fruit and vegetable intake were most likely to be successful, particularly in worksites and churches. There was also evidence of small positive effects on reducin...

Journal of Rural Studies, 2013

Provoked by concerns about climate change, resource depletion and economic recession, the concept... more Provoked by concerns about climate change, resource depletion and economic recession, the concept of food security has experienced a renaissance in international policy and research agendas. Despite this interest, the problem of food insecurity in wealthy countries has still not received enough attention. We argue that it is worthy of research and policy focus, because by examining the experiences and perceptions of food security amongst the 'global rich', we can develop more critical understandings of the implications of neoliberal constructions of the consumer as a driving force in moves towards more secure food systems. The paper draws on empirical data from shoppers in the United Kingdom to make three key arguments. First, it is important to retain the issue of economic access to food at the heart of discussions of food security, so that the concept is not reduced to the problem of how to increase agricultural productivity. Second, it is necessary to recognize the importance of food quality to consumer perceptions of household food security. Third, consumers do not necessarily share the neoliberal view that consumer choice is the engine for sustainability and food security. On the contrary, consumers in our research were well aware that food prices and the choices made available are shaped by forces beyond the control of individual shoppers. Overall, they expressed uncertainty about what food security means, about the causes of problems in the food system and about who should be responsible for ensuring access to affordable food for healthy living, for all.

Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2011

International Journal of Epidemiology, 2008

... BMA. Housing and health: Building for the future. 2003. 21. Wilkinson P, Landon M, Armstrong ... more ... BMA. Housing and health: Building for the future. 2003. 21. Wilkinson P, Landon M, Armstrong B, Stevenson S, McKee M. Cold Comfort: The social and environmental determinants of excess winter death in England, 1986–1996. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2001. 22. ...

Public Health Nutrition, 2001

Public Health Nutrition, Apr 1, 2001

The contribution of food, nutrition and physical activity to inequalities in health across Europe... more The contribution of food, nutrition and physical activity to inequalities in health across Europe is largely unexplored. This paper summarizes cross sectional survey data on food patterns and nutrient intakes, and briefer data on physical activity, by various indicators of socioeconomic status for countries across Europe. Factors are examined which underlie the outcome data seen. These include structural and material conditions and circumstances which contribute to excluding sociodemographic groups from participating in mainstream patterns of living. Trends in social and economic conditions, and their implications for nutritional and physical wellbeing are briefly outlined.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply t... more The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use. The views expressed by authors, editors, or expert groups do not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the World Health Organization.

This book offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective on tackling health inequalities in a rich... more This book offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective on tackling health inequalities in a rich country, examining the New Labour policy agenda for tackling health inequalities and its inherent challenges.

The Sociological Review, 2009

Food' is essentially a biological entity, consumed by living creatures: plants, fungi, fish, anim... more Food' is essentially a biological entity, consumed by living creatures: plants, fungi, fish, animals or their products, are processed by various means at domestic or factory sites to produce the cornucopia of dishes, cuisines and ways of eating which have long characterized food systems (Tansey and Worsley, 1995; Beardsworth and Keil, 1997). A marked feature of the modern global food system is its divorcing of foodstuffs from the biological: increasingly, food is an industrialized product of global capitalism. Thus the drive is to make it uniform (remove as much natural variation as possible-carrots are always orange, and largely taste the same), safe (containing as few pathogens or contaminants as possible, and as good for consumer health as possible with minimum effort on the consumers' part) and predictable in processing, appearance, cost, preparation and taste. These attributes apply to raw ingredients (such as vegetables, fruit, meat) as much as to processed foodstuffs (whether longstanding and familiar such as bread, or newer, ready prepared dishes) (see for example Tansey and Worsley, 1995; Lawrence, 2004; Steel, 2008). Furthermore, this separation contributes to the emotional, intellectual and cultural distancing which people experience in their understanding of and relationship to food, a circumstance lamented by primary producers and policy makers and subject to growing academic attention (eg Cook

Studies in Christian Ethics, 2003

Sociologia Ruralis, 2007

Modes of food production–consumption defined as ‘alternative’ have received considerable academic... more Modes of food production–consumption defined as ‘alternative’ have received considerable academic attention, with studies exploring both their potential for contributing to rural development strategies and the opportunities they provide for countering established power relations in food supply systems. However, the use of the term ‘alternative’ as part of a persistent dualism in which it is opposed to the ‘conventional’ is problematic as it loses sight of the specificity of different examples food production–consumption. Based on extensive field research with a series of very different food projects, this article develops a methodological framework which structures a description of how specific examples of food production–consumption are organised with reference to a series of analytical fields. This framework retains a sense of the diversity and particularity of particular cases of production–consumption, and directs attention to the particular locations of resistance to prevalent ...

Social Policy and Administration, 2002

Social policy and food/nutrition are both to some extent contested disciplines and areas for inte... more Social policy and food/nutrition are both to some extent contested disciplines and areas for intervention. The role of food in poverty definition and measurement by experts and within the lived experience by those defined poor, has been a neglected component of disciplinary study and focused policy response in Britain in the latter half of the twentieth century. This paper explores the historical and contemporary complementarities and challenges, and examines some of the consequences poor people face because society has ignored the social aspects of nutritional needs, and the nutritional contributions to poverty definition and interventions. Current policy initiatives in the health, food and social sectors in Britain are briefly reviewed and their potential shortcomings discussed.

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2008

Members of low-income households in the UK are more likely to have patterns of food and nutrient ... more Members of low-income households in the UK are more likely to have patterns of food and nutrient intakes that are less inclined to lead to good health outcomes in the short and long term. Health inequalities, including the likelihood of child and adulthood obesity, have long been documented in the UK and show little sign of improving so far, despite 10 years of attention from a government that has committed itself to addressing them. Following the Acheson Inquiry into Inequalities in Health (1998) in England a number of initiatives to tackle inequalities in food and diet were established, both nationally and within the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, until recently, there has been no overall strategic policy addressing the food and nutritional needs of low-income households. The present paper reviews how the problems have been constructed and understood and how they have been addressed, briefly drawing on recent evaluations of food and nutriti...

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2012

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1992

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1993

Nutrition Research Reviews, 2007

Diet is an important factor in the causation of cancer. Previous systematic reviews of one-to-one... more Diet is an important factor in the causation of cancer. Previous systematic reviews of one-to-one interventions to encourage dietary change have found that such interventions can achieve modest improvements in diet. However, such interventions are resource intensive and unlikely to be good value for money at a population level. Interventions that address groups, communities or whole populations may be less resource intensive and effect change in a wider population. We report a systematic review of such interventions. We set wide inclusion criteria, including before-and-after studies and studies with a non-randomized comparison group as well as randomized trials. We found eighteen studies based in the community, seventeen based on worksites, five based in churches and one based in a supermarket. Interventions which targeted fruit and vegetable intake were most likely to be successful, particularly in worksites and churches. There was also evidence of small positive effects on reducin...

Journal of Rural Studies, 2013

Provoked by concerns about climate change, resource depletion and economic recession, the concept... more Provoked by concerns about climate change, resource depletion and economic recession, the concept of food security has experienced a renaissance in international policy and research agendas. Despite this interest, the problem of food insecurity in wealthy countries has still not received enough attention. We argue that it is worthy of research and policy focus, because by examining the experiences and perceptions of food security amongst the 'global rich', we can develop more critical understandings of the implications of neoliberal constructions of the consumer as a driving force in moves towards more secure food systems. The paper draws on empirical data from shoppers in the United Kingdom to make three key arguments. First, it is important to retain the issue of economic access to food at the heart of discussions of food security, so that the concept is not reduced to the problem of how to increase agricultural productivity. Second, it is necessary to recognize the importance of food quality to consumer perceptions of household food security. Third, consumers do not necessarily share the neoliberal view that consumer choice is the engine for sustainability and food security. On the contrary, consumers in our research were well aware that food prices and the choices made available are shaped by forces beyond the control of individual shoppers. Overall, they expressed uncertainty about what food security means, about the causes of problems in the food system and about who should be responsible for ensuring access to affordable food for healthy living, for all.

Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2011

International Journal of Epidemiology, 2008

... BMA. Housing and health: Building for the future. 2003. 21. Wilkinson P, Landon M, Armstrong ... more ... BMA. Housing and health: Building for the future. 2003. 21. Wilkinson P, Landon M, Armstrong B, Stevenson S, McKee M. Cold Comfort: The social and environmental determinants of excess winter death in England, 1986–1996. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2001. 22. ...