June 21, 2018: Eliminating trans fats

06/21/18 • 14 min

In this episode we're marking a major public health milestone. As of Monday, June 18, U.S. food manufacturers are banned from creating products with artificial trans fats—found in partially hydrogenated oils. This ban is the culmination of decades of research and work, and we'll explore how these fats became such a mainstay in American foods, the work to expose their risks, and the public health impact of eliminating them. You'll hear from two experts who were on the front lines of the battle against trans fats: Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Michael Jacobson, senior scientist and former executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

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June 14, 2018: What's behind a resurgence of mumps in the United States?

In the early 21st century there was hope that the success of the mumps vaccine in the United States would pave the way for the eventual elimination of the highly contagious disease. But since 2006 there's actually been a resurgence of mumps. In this week's podcast Yonatan Grad, assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases, explains how the waning effectiveness of the vaccine may be contributing to outbreaks of the virus.

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July 12, 2018: Every business has an impact on health

Every company has an impact on health—both positive and negative—whether they realize it or not. And in this episode we're taking an in-depth look at the links between businesses and health. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently partnered with Harvard Business School to launch a new initiative called Culture of Health (COH): A Business Leadership Imperative. The goals: encourage business leaders to prioritize the protection and promotion of health and wellbeing and understand how some companies are already contributing to health—and how to encourage others to do so.

You'll hear from three researchers spearheading this work: Howard Koh is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership and principal investigator of the Culture of Health program; John McDonough is professor of public health practice and a co-principal investigator; and Eileen McNeely is an instructor in the Department of Environmental Health and director of the Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise—or SHINE.