Saving your bacon: healthy-eating policy evolves

About this episode

<p>Decades of messaging have not worked, so governments are trying <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2026/10/08/nagging-people-to-eat-healthily-does-not-work?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new ways</a></u> to get citizens to eat well, from scary labelling to taxing the junkiest foods. Will it work? The death of a <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/10/06/the-plague-may-have-escaped-from-a-lab-in-siberia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plague researcher</a></u> in Russia is made more mysterious by the government’s resolute lack of transparency. And a tribute to <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/10/08/cyril-hilsum-invented-the-flat-screen-displays-that-hold-us-in-thrall?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cyril Hilsum</a></u>, the inventor behind ubiquitous flat-screen displays. </p><br><p><em>Watch extended clips from Insider <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></u>.</em></p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Slavea Chankova, health-care correspondent</li><li>Alex Turner, defence editor</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>diet, public health, health policy</li><li>Russia, plague, bioweapons</li><li>Cyril Hilsum, liquid crystals, flat-screen displays</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>