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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on September 8, 2006
The European Journal of Public Health 2006 16(6):682; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckl226
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Letter to Editor

World Championship 2006 in Germany: sponsorship through Coca Cola, McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch

In contrast to Formula One Car Racing events, public health experts could be satisfied that there was no advertisement of tobacco products at the Soccer World Cup in Germany this year (although smoking is allowed at the events!). However, we should not be complacent while we enjoy the games and the many fascinating multicultural events surrounding them. Sponsorship of the World Cup through companies that produce not exceptionally healthy—to say the least—food products such as beer and particularly fast food and soft drinks containing high concentrations of sugar (Anheuser-Busch, McDonald's, Coca Cola) is a breathtaking example of a scandalous misuse of this event by national and multinational industries.

Unhealthy lifestyles including the consumption of fast food and alcohol are well documented major risk factors for disease burdens of all populations according to the World Health Report.1 The currently ongoing and increasing epidemic of diabetes in the world, for example, is partly caused by changes of eating habits and the increasing consumption of fast food products.2 Thus, it is in my opinion absolutely irresponsible and should be illegal that a substantial amount of the world population watches the games with the permanent exposure to unhealthy food products.

From a public health point of view it is important not to narrow the focus to smoking, but to include other relevant risk factors in a ban for advertisements and to change the respective laws for sponsorships accordingly. Sadly, we definitely missed a great opportunity to promote public health on a worldwide scale during the exciting weeks of the Soccer World Cup in Germany.

Alexander Krämer

Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Bielefeld, PO Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany

Correspondence: Alexander Krämer, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Bielefeld, PO Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany, e-mail: alexander.kraemer{at}uni-bielefeld.de

References

1 World Health Organization. World Health Report 2002—Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002.

2 Zimmet P. The burden of type 2 diabetes. Are we doing enough?. Diabetes Metab 2003;29:6S9–18.[Medline]


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This Article
Right arrow Extract Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
16/6/682    most recent
ckl226v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
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Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
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Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Krämer, A.
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PubMed
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Right arrow Articles by Krämer, A.
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