Corporate Wealth or Public Health?

Thu, Jun 26 2014 - 6:00pm

Robert H. Lustig, M.D; Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, San Francisco; Director, Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program, UCSF

The ideology of “personal responsibility” has at one time or another been championed as the solution for every one of our societal ills. It’s considered convenient, easily adopted by American liberty interests, and is believed to contribute to the corporate bottom line. But according to Lustig, every “personal responsibility” issue eventually morphs into a public health crisis because these diseases are not caused by behaviors, but rather exposures. He argues that though politicians are supposed to protect us, sometimes wealth speaks louder than public health. He sees the ideology of “personal responsibility” as one that denies biology and obscures reality. Come hear why he believes it might be time for a change in policy, based in biology, recognizing that exposures cannot be fixed by individuals, but must be dealt with by society.