State and market: adversaries or allies in the implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Policy? Some reflections on regulation measures

Abstract

Food and nutrition constitute basic requirements for health promotion and protection, enabling the full expression of the human potential for growth and development, with quality of life and citizenship. Changes in the relationship between State, Civil Society, and the Market have brought several adverse social consequences, particularly in the health and nutrition field. This article intends to stimulate some reflections related to the need of an agreement between State, Civil Society and the Market for the accomplishment of measures that are able to contribute to obesity control and, as a consequence, to improve health and nutrition conditions of the Brazilian population. The article also presents a brief description of the historical context of social policies in Brazil and their specific consequences to food and nutrition matters; it identifies the main political aspects to analyze guidelines of the National Food and Nutrition Policy; it emphasizes the strengthening of regulation measures as a strategy to face the problem of excess of weight / obesity in society, identifying its roots in the urban, 'global' and neoliberal way of life of the last decades and, as a conclusion, it suggests more elements to enrich this debate. Regulation Measures seem to have a positive influence on health promotion actions by setting up the boundaries and criteria to mediate the relationship between Civil Society and the Market, besides reflecting the support and protection of the citizen's health as the main purpose of the State in this process.