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Nutritional Criminology: Why the Emerging Research on Ultra-Processed Food Matters to Health and Justice

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  • Susan L. Prescott

    (School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
    Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
    The ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA 6009, Australia)

  • Alan C. Logan

    (Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA)

  • Christopher R. D’Adamo

    (Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA)

  • Kathleen F. Holton

    (Departments of Health Studies and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA)

  • Christopher A. Lowry

    (Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA)

  • John Marks

    (Department of Criminal Justice, Louisiana State University of Alexandria, Alexandria, LA 71302, USA)

  • Rob Moodie

    (School of Population and Global Health (MSPGH), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Blake Poland

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5R 0A3, Canada)

Abstract

There is mounting concern over the potential harms associated with ultra-processed foods, including poor mental health and antisocial behavior. Cutting-edge research provides an enhanced understanding of biophysiological mechanisms, including microbiome pathways, and invites a historical reexamination of earlier work that investigated the relationship between nutrition and criminal behavior. Here, in this perspective article, we explore how this emergent research casts new light and greater significance on previous key observations. Despite expanding interest in the field dubbed ‘nutritional psychiatry’, there has been relatively little attention paid to its relevancy within criminology and the criminal justice system. Since public health practitioners, allied mental health professionals, and policymakers play key roles throughout criminal justice systems, a holistic perspective on both historical and emergent research is critical. While there are many questions to be resolved, the available evidence suggests that nutrition might be an underappreciated factor in prevention and treatment along the criminal justice spectrum. The intersection of nutrition and biopsychosocial health requires transdisciplinary discussions of power structures, industry influence, and marketing issues associated with widespread food and social inequalities. Some of these discussions are already occurring under the banner of ‘food crime’. Given the vast societal implications, it is our contention that the subject of nutrition in the multidisciplinary field of criminology—referred to here as nutritional criminology—deserves increased scrutiny. Through combining historical findings and cutting-edge research, we aim to increase awareness of this topic among the broad readership of the journal, with the hopes of generating new hypotheses and collaborations.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan L. Prescott & Alan C. Logan & Christopher R. D’Adamo & Kathleen F. Holton & Christopher A. Lowry & John Marks & Rob Moodie & Blake Poland, 2024. "Nutritional Criminology: Why the Emerging Research on Ultra-Processed Food Matters to Health and Justice," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-25, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:2:p:120-:d:1324846
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    References listed on IDEAS

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