title: Newspaper debates on milk fats and vegetable oils in Finland, 1978-2013: An analysis of conflicts over risks, expertise, evidence and pleasure.
abstract: The study analysed public debates on the association of milk fats, vegetable oils and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) between 1978 and 2013 in Finland, a country with a decades-long history of public health initiatives targeting fat consumption. The main agendas, conflicts and participants were analysed. The data were collected from the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and consisted of 52 threads and 250 texts. We identified four themes around which there were repeated, often overlapping conflicts: the health risks of saturated fats, expertise of the risks of fat consumption, the adequate evidence of the risks of fat consumption, and framing the fat question. During the research period, the main arguments of the effects of consumption of fats have remained the same. References to epidemiological and intervention studies and framing of the fat question as a public health issue, have been ongoing, as has the definition of what constitutes genuine expertise. Yet, we also found discontinuities. In the early 2000s new emphases began to emerge: personal experiences were increasingly presented as evidence of the effects of dietary choices on human health, and the question of fat consumption was framed either as one of enjoyment or of a consumers' right to choose rather than only being a public health question. Moreover, new professional groups such as chefs and creative professionals now joined the discussion.
authors.affiliation: Consumer Society Research Centre, Department of Political and Economic Studies, P.O.Box 24, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: piia.jallinoja@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Piia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jallinoja
authors.affiliation: Consumer Society Research Centre, Department of Political and Economic Studies, P.O.Box 24, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: mikko.jauho@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jauho
authors.affiliation: Department of Teacher Education, P.O. Box 8, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: johanna.m.makela@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002079:Butter / Q000009:adverse effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003296:Cooking; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000639:trends; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D066292:Lipid Droplets; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000266:history* / Q000639:trends; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057181:Pleasure; D011361:Professional Competence; D012306:Risk; D013649:Taste; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D006017:Glycolipids; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010938:Plant Oils; C110367:milk fat globule; D002079:Butter
keywords: Dietary fats; Eating habits; Expertise; Media; Science controversy; Taste