Deriving Policy from Evidence: Experience from the WCRF/AICR Report

Abstract

Health is regarded as a basic human right. Governments, public health authorities, and health care and other professions have responsibilities to protect and promote public health. Policies to achieve this should be based on the best available evidence. Two fundamental questions follow from this statement: What is the best available evidence, and what are the processes best used to identify and use it to develop policies and actions? The maintenance of health requires an adequate supply of safe and varied food to meet human nutritional requirements. In many parts of the world in which food supplies are secure, the nature of the diet depends on decisions that people make, rather than their diets being restricted by supply. In these circumstances, rational choices can only be made if people have the relevant information and are educated to be able to use it. Even in regions in which the food supply is restricted, governments have responsibilities to ensure that the food supply is designed to protect and pro...