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Ethical investing: Should insurance companies be investing in fast food companies?
- April 16, 2010 10:37 AM |
- By POV
Manulife Financial President and CEO D'Alessandro addresses shareholders in Toronto in 2007. (JP Moczulski/Reuters)
Life and health insurance companies, including two Canadian giants, have invested nearly $2 billion in the fast food industry, a practice that raises questions about putting profits above health, researchers say.
U.S., Canadian and European-based insurance firms hold at least $1.88 billion of investments in the five leading fast food companies, the team reported in Thursday's online issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Fast food consumption has been linked to obesity and cardiovascular disease.
The two Canadian-based insurers in the report were Sun Life and Manulife, which offer life, health, disability and long-term care insurance.
"Our data illustrate the extent to which the insurance industry seeks to turn a profit above all else," Dr. Wesley Boyd, senior author of the study, said in a release. "Safeguarding people's health and well-being take a back seat to making money."
Investing in companies whose products undermine health while selling life or health insurance may seem inconsistent, the authors said.
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Life and health insurance companies, including two Canadian giants, have invested nearly $2 billion in the fast food industry, a practice that raises questions about putting profits above health, researchers say.
U.S., Canadian and European-based insurance firms hold at least $1.88 billion of investments in the five leading fast food companies, the team reported in Thursday's online issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Fast food consumption has been linked to obesity and cardiovascular disease.
The two Canadian-based insurers in the report were Sun Life and Manulife, which offer life, health, disability and long-term care insurance.
"Our data illustrate the extent to which the insurance industry seeks to turn a profit above all else," Dr. Wesley Boyd, senior author of the study, said in a release. "Safeguarding people's health and well-being take a back seat to making money."
Investing in companies whose products undermine health while selling life or health insurance may seem inconsistent, the authors said.
Read more:
Take our poll.
(This poll is not scientific. It is based on readers' votes.)
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