Hello from an infrequent poster -- I just wanted to share an observation about the WHO resolution
and the onslaught of negative opinion pieces we are seeing about breastfeeding (and, as Hathor
points out, resistance from US politicians).

All the op-ed pieces that people have alerted us to on Lactnet are written from a "free market"
perspective. My hunch is that the formula industry (a subsidiary of the food and pharmaceutical
industries) is very worried about the WHO recommendation that infant formula come with warning
labels.  Such warning labels would be economically disastrous to these industries.

So, the formula industry is fighting back by trying to sway public opinion.   Members of industry-
friendly think tanks and organizations are writing op-ed pieces which cast the World Health
Organization as extremist, anti-capitalist, anti-free market and fanatically obsessed with
promoting breastfeeding and denigrating infant formula, which all these op-ed pieces repeatedly
claim is "completely safe."

I don't believe it is a coincidence that all these op-ed pieces say basically the same thing.  And I
don't think it is even a matter of a ground swell of spontaneous free-market advocates'
indignation at the WHO's recommendations.

In much the same way that the formula industry acted to thwart the ad campaign, they are now
acting to thwart the WHO's effort to educate consumers about the risks of infant formula.  Both
the original ad campaign and these warning labels could cost them lots of money.

We all need to join Hathor in fighting back.  And I suggest that we not only write individual
responses to these op-ed pieces, but that we publicly ask (as I'm doing now) the formula industry
if it is cynically using so-called journalism to fight its battle for profits, which happens to also be a
battle against public health.

Kerry Ose

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