Geoffrey Cannon
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Geoffrey Cannon (born 1940) is an English author, journalist and former magazine editor, and scholar. From 1968 to 1972, he was the
music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...
for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', a role that made him the first dedicated rock critic at a British daily newspaper. Having worked as the arts editor for ''
New Society ''New Society'' was a weekly magazine of social inquiry and social and cultural comment, published in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1988. It drew on the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, psychology, human geography, social history and so ...
'' magazine, he became editor of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
publication ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' from 1969 to 1979. During that time, he also wrote on music and pop culture for '' The Listener'', the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'', ''
Creem ''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is a monthly American music magazine, based in Detroit, whose main print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential criti ...
'', ''Rock et Folk'', ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' and ''
Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
''. Since the early 1980s Cannon has worked in public health, mostly food and nutrition policy. He co-authored, with Hetty Einzig, the bestseller ''Dieting Makes You Fat'' in 1983, and with Caroline Walker the 1984 bestseller ''The Food Scandal: What's Wrong with the British Diet and How to Put It Right''. Cannon's other books include ''The Politics of Food''. He is a former director of science for the
World Cancer Research Fund World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the del ...
and now lives in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
where he is a member of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies in Nutrition and Health (NUPENS),
University of São Paulo The University of São Paulo ( pt, Universidade de São Paulo, USP) is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian public university and the country's most prestigious educational institution, the best ...
, Brazil.


Early years and education

Cannon won a scholarship to
Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553 ...
public school in
Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
in the county of
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
. He subsequently attended
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, where he was a member of
Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
. He recalls that hearing
Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...
's ''
The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...
'' played loudly on a family friend's state-of-the-art hi-fi, at the age of fourteen, first enlightened him to the power of music. As further key events, he cites playing " Why Do Fools Fall in Love" in a record-shop listening booth in Horsham, and a year later "when a van came down a street in
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
, Germany, playing the demo of '
Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being g ...
'".


Career


United Kingdom


Magazines, popular culture, music journalism


''Oxford Opinion''

At Oxford in 1960-1961, Cannon was editor and owner, with
Stephan Feuchtwang Stephan Feuchtwang (born 1937) is emeritus professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics (LSE). His main area of research is China. He was born in Berlin in 1937, the son of Wilhelm Feuchtwang and Eva Neurath. His grandfather, David ...
, of ''Oxford Opinion (OO).'' Regular contributors included
Richard Gott Richard Willoughby Gott (born 28 October 1938),Winchester College: A Register. Edited by P.S.W.K. McClure and R.P. Stevens, on behalf of the Wardens and Fellows of Winchester College. 7th edition, 2014. pp. 271 (Short Half 1952 list heading) & ...
,
John Gittings John Gittings is a British journalist and author who is mainly known for his works on modern China and the Cold War. From 1983 to 2003, he worked at ''The Guardian'' (UK) as assistant foreign editor and chief foreign leader-writer. He has als ...
, British historian
Timothy Mason Timothy Wright Mason (2 March 1940 – 5 March 1990) was an English Marxist historian of Nazi Germany. He was one of the founders of the ''History Workshop Journal'' and specialised in the social history of the Third Reich. He argued for the " ...
,
JG Farrell James Gordon Farrell (25 January 1935 – 11 August 1979) was an English-born novelist of Irish descent. He gained prominence for a series of novels known as "the Empire Trilogy" (''Troubles'', '' The Siege of Krishnapur'' and ''The Singapore Gr ...
, Ian Hamilton, and
Kevin Crossley-Holland Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (born 7 February 1941) is an English translator, children's author and poet. His best known work is probably the Arthur trilogy (2000–2003), for which he won the Guardian Prize and other recognition. Cros ...
. ''OO'' introduced the film commentary allied with ''
Cahiers du Cinéma ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' (, ) is a French film magazine co-founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca.Itzkoff, Dave (9 February 2009''Cahiers Du Cinéma Will Continue to Publish''The New York TimesMacnab, Ge ...
'' by Ian Cameron,
Mark Shivas Mark Shivas (24 April 1938 – 11 October 2008) was a British television producer, film producer and executive. Shivas was born in Banstead in Surrey. His father was an English teacher; his mother was a librarian. He attended Whitgift School i ...
, VF Perkins, and others, who later founded ''Movie'' magazine. ''OO'' was described in ''
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication i ...
'' as "incomparably the best produced of all Oxford magazines".


''New Society, The Guardian''

Cannon's first published writings on
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
appeared in 1962 in ''
New Society ''New Society'' was a weekly magazine of social inquiry and social and cultural comment, published in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1988. It drew on the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, psychology, human geography, social history and so ...
,'' where he was a founder-member of the editorial staff. He worked in-house for the magazine, later becoming its design, art, production, and arts editor. From 1967, he began writing on popular culture for, and redesigned, '' The Listener'', under the editorship of
Karl Miller Karl Fergus Connor Miller FRSL (2 August 1931 – 24 September 2014) was a Scottish literary editor, critic and writer. Miller was born in the village of Loanhead, Midlothian, and was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and Down ...
, and in 1968 began writing a weekly column on pop and rock music for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. Along with
Tony Palmer Tony Palmer (born 29 August 1941)IMDb: Tony Palmer
Retrieved 24 September 2011
is a British film direc ...
of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'', a Sunday newspaper, he was one of the leading figures in the emergence of British rock criticism during the late 1960s.
George Melly Alan George Heywood Melly (17 August 1926 – 5 July 2007) was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer, and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for ''The Observer''; he also lectured on art history, with an e ...
, who became ''The Observer''s first pop culture commentator in 1965, described the pair as seeking to "establish a critical apparatus" with which to evaluate contemporary popular music. Helped by his association with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', Cannon was able to contribute more substantial articles to the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' and the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'', and to
underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...
magazines such as ''
Creem ''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is a monthly American music magazine, based in Detroit, whose main print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential criti ...
''. He wrote the 1970 documentary film ''London Rock'', focusing on the UK's counterculture movement. He recalls that, together with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' journalists David Dalton and
Jonathan Cott Jonathan Cott (born December 24, 1942) is an American author, journalist, and editor. Much of his work focuses on music, embracing both classical and rock. He has been a contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'' since the magazine's founding, ...
, he joined
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
documentary-makers such as Jo Durden-Smith, John Sheppard and Michael Darlow in devising "prime-time networked shows designed as anthems of the revolution". Among these late-1960s projects, he says that the ''
Johnny Cash at San Quentin ''Johnny Cash at San Quentin'' is the 31st overall album and second live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, recorded live at San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969, and released on June 16 of that same year. The concert was fi ...
'' TV special was his idea, and he "share credit" for the ideas behind the concert films ''The Doors Are Open'' and ''
The Stones in the Park ''The Stones in the Park'' was a free outdoor festival held in Hyde Park on 5 July 1969, headlined by the Rolling Stones and featuring Third Ear Band, King Crimson, Screw, Alexis Korner's New Church, Family and the Battered Ornaments, in fro ...
''. He also directed the film of
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
's performance at the 1970 Palermo Pop Festival, for
RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
, Italy's national public broadcaster. In July 1971, he was one of four speakers on "Youth and Music" at the inaugural International Music Industry Conference hosted by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine. In his address, he discussed rock music's inspirational role on the lifestyle of contemporary youth and also its ability to provide "the catalyst for styles of death", with regard to the counterculture-related deaths of
Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...
in Los Angeles, Meredith Hunter at Altamont, and
Weather Underground The Weather Underground was a Far-left politics, far-left militant organization first active in 1969, founded on the Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan. Originally known as the Weathermen, the group was organiz ...
radical
Diana Oughton Diana Oughton (January 26, 1942 – March 6, 1970) was an American member of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Michigan Chapter and later, a member of the 1960s radical group Weather Underground. Oughton received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr ...
. Cannon says he was frustrated by ''The Guardian''s habit of cutting down his submissions and stopped writing for the paper in 1972. In addition, he cites his lack of interest in contemporary musical trends – a perspective that was reflected in his being awarded "Pseud of the Year" by the satirical magazine ''
Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...
'' for two consecutive years. Later in the 1970s, he wrote what he considers some of his "best pieces" for ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' and ''
Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'', when they were edited by Richard Williams.


''Radio Times''

In early 1969 Cannon became editor of ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'', which had a circulation of 3.8 million. Brian Gearing, his successor as editor, wrote: "Cannon arrived, backed by a young and talented staff … the changes he made were the most far-reaching ever to be introduced … At the end of the 1970s, ''Radio Times'' … was still Britain’s largest and most successful magazine." Elkan Allan, then editor of ''The Sunday Times Guide for Viewers'', criticised ''Radio Times'' as containing “peripheral and tangential articles, frequently of a trivial nature”. In 1976, ''Radio Times'' and Cannon won Design and Art Direction Gold Awards for editorial design. Cannon left the magazine in 1979.


''Running''

Cannon wrote a monthly Fun Runner column for ''Running'' magazine from 1979 to 1987. He organised a team, including himself, to run the 1980 New York marathon. He then created London 1982/50'','' a group of 50 who trained for and ran the 1982 London marathon. As a result, four citizen running clubs were formed in different parts of London, including the
Serpentine Running Club Serpentine Running Club is a cross-country running club based in Marylebone, London, United Kingdom. but uses a variety of places around London for training sessions. Most club sessions are based around the Seymour Leisure Centre and Hyde Park but ...
, which he co-founded.


Health, nutrition, and fitness


''The Sunday Times, Dieting Makes you Fat''

After his ten-year editorship of ''Radio Times'', Cannon became an assistant editor of ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
''. His focus on fitness resulted in regular coverage of the 'Getting in Shape' citizen running project, which he developed from Fun Runner ‘82, and in the 1982 New Year issue of ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' ran a feature by Cannon with the title ‘Dieting makes you fat’. With co-author Hetty Einzig, Cannon then wrote the book ''Dieting Makes You Fat'', which became a UK number one best seller. Cannon then discovered that an official report on the state of British nutrition and health had been delayed and allegedly suppressed, apparently because of its overall message, that the typical British diet was a main cause of many disabling or deadly conditions and diseases. Successive drafts of this report were leaked to him. The result was a ''
Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' front page lead news story and a full-page inside feature article. These articles won the Van den Berghs reporting Award for 1983. Cannon left ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' in 1983.


''New Health''

In early 1984 he became editor of ''New Health'' magazine, published by
Haymarket Press Haymarket Media Group is a privately held media company headquartered in London. It has publications in the consumer, business and customer sectors, both print and online. It operates exhibitions allied to its own publications, and previously on ...
. From October 1984 until ''New Health'' closed in October 1986, Cannon wrote monthly columns, winning ''The Publisher’s'' 1986 best specialist columnist award. In 1985, he originated a six-part series on ‘Fat to Fit’, and in 1986 another five-part series on food additives, which won The Periodical Proprietors Association Award for best campaign of the year. Both series became books.


''The Food Scandal''

In 1984, with Caroline Walker, an English food campaigner and nutritionist who later became his second wife, Cannon wrote ''The Food Scandal'', which became a UK best-seller. ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' ran three full-page features by Cannon derived from the book — "Food, treacherous food", "The cover-up that kills", and "So you think you eat healthily". Two chapters of ''The Food Scandal'' dealt with salt and sugar, both identified in the NACNE report as being consumed excessively. Brands containing these were named, including
Bovril Bovril is the trademarked name of a thick and salty meat extract paste similar to a yeast extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston. It is sold in a distinctive bulbous jar, and as cubes and granules. Bovril is owned and distribut ...
. In fact, it contained caramel, which in industrial form is not a variation of sugar.
Beecham Beecham is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Audrey Beecham (1915–1989), poet and niece of the conductor * Betty Humby Beecham (1908–1958), British pianist and wife of the conductor * Earl Beecham (born 1965), American foo ...
, then the owner of Bovril, sued and was granted an injunction in the High Court against the authors and publishers. In 1985, an updated and expanded paperback version was published. Cannon subsequently authored ''The Good Fight'', a biography of Walker, who died from
colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...
in 1988.


''The Politics of Food''

Despite its portentous title, Cannon’s 1987 book ''The Politics of Food'' only explored how the food product manufacturing industry, undeterred by government and expert advisors, manipulated the food supply and thus what was consumed in the UK in the 1980s. It received mixed reviews. ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' was sceptical, and Bernard Levin wrote in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'': "What we eat and how we eat it is the next target for those who will not rest until they have compelled us, under the threat of prosecution, to do what they wish… The undoubted leader of the new species of fanatic is Mr Geoffrey Cannon." The book was serialised in ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
,'' in 1987 winning the Argos Award for best newspaper feature, and in ''
She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
'' magazine, winning the Publisher Award for best magazine feature. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Cannon worked with professional and public interest civil society organisations. These included the London Road Runners Club, where he and colleagues devised the STAR*RANK (standards, records and ranking) age-graded system used in accredited road running races, and the Caroline Walker Trust, of which he was co-founder and secretary. In 1985 he was a founder-member of the National Food Alliance (NFA), an umbrella group representing around 100 UK national bodies concerned with food, farming, and health, and its chair throughout the 1980s. The NFA subsequently turned into Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming. As such, he was the civil society member of the UK government delegation to the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
/
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
1992 International Conference on Nutrition, participating in preliminary meetings in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
and
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
and the final meeting in December in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
.


''Superbug''

While writing Caroline Walker's biography, Cannon discovered that in 1976 his late wife and co-author had been prescribed what would now be seen as a gross overdose of the toxic antibacterial drug
co-trimoxazole Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand name Bactrim among others, is a fixed-dose combination antibiotic medication used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. It consists of one part trimethoprim to five parts sulfamethoxazo ...
. He became interested in antibacterial drugs in general and in 1991, supported by a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship, he interviewed various authorities. His resulting book, ''Superbug,'' was published in 1995. He concluded that the overuse and abuse of antibacterial drugs in human and animal medicine and rearing was evolving drug-resistant bacteria and already amounted to a catastrophe. The book had low sales. Its arguments are now backed by far more generally accepted evidence.


World Cancer Research Fund

In 1993, Cannon joined the
World Cancer Research Fund World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the del ...
, becoming head of science and head and director of the secretariat on behalf of WCRF of the 670-page report ''Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective'', published in 1997. The method devised by the secretariat of assessing evidence as convincing, probable, possible, or insufficient was adopted by the World Health Organization.


Brazil

Cannon moved to
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in 2000 and is now resident there.


Federal Ministry of Health

In
Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
, he worked with Denise Costa Coitinho as consultant to the Coordenação Geral de Alimentação e Nutrição (CGAN, the department of food and nutrition) at the federal Ministry of Health. He compiled a report on ''Alimentos Regionais Brasileiros'' (regional Brazilian foods), issued in 2002. This describes and analyses many indigenous plant foods suited to Brazilian climate and terrain that are. not listed in food composition tables compiled in the temperate global North. Cannon was a member of the official Brazilian government delegation to the 107th
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
Executive Board meeting held in
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
between 15 and 22 January 2001. From 2001, he drafted the first official national Brazilian dietary guidelines, the ''Guia Alimentar'', the final version of which was published in 2006. This included recommendations for government, industry, health professionals, and the public. It stressed Brazilian food culture, foods of plant origin, and freshly prepared meals. The draft was cited by the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
as "giving equal priority to the prevention and control of nutritional deficiency, food-related infectious diseases, and chronic diseases".


''The New World Map, The Fate of Nations''

Cannon wrote two linked papers, developed from lectures given in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in April 2002. He proposed a return to the originally ancient natural philosophy of dietetics as the good life well led, of which food and eating is one part. He then wrote ''The Fate of Nations,'' subtitled "Food and Nutrition Policy in the New World", in which he proposed that the pressing need now was to conserve resources and the biosphere.


''Out of the Box''

From 2003 to 2009, he wrote a monthly column, "Out of the Box", for the journal '' Public Health Nutrition'' on topics of current interest and continued as a '' Public Health Nutrition'' deputy editor until early 2010.


''The New Nutrition''

In 2004 Claus Leitzmann and Cannon developed what became known as the "New Nutrition". They organised a workshop at the
University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (german: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is named after its most famous faculty member, Justus von L ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, where Cannon drafted, and the 23 members of the meeting agreed, The Giessen Declaration. This established ‘a set of agreed principles, definitions and dimensions for this new paradigm’. The Declaration defines nutrition as a social and environmental as well as a biological science. The workshop proceedings were published in a special issue of '' Public Health Nutrition'' in September 2005.


Public health for the 21st century

Cannon was invited by the
Public Health Foundation of India The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is a not for profit public private initiative working towards a healthier India. A national consultation, convened by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in September 2004, recommended a ...
to give the opening plenary lecture at an international conference in Hyderabad in August 2008 on the future of public health. Here he drafted the Hyderabad Declaration on Public Health in the 21st Century. Brazil held the presidency of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) in 2009, and Cannon was a member of the Brazilian delegation to the 12th meeting in Istanbul. He drafted the WFPHA Istanbul Declaration: Health, the First Human Right. Cannon continued working for the
World Cancer Research Fund World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the del ...
after moving to Brazil, mainly as chief editor of its second report, published in 2007, and of a separate policy report published in 2009. His work for WCRF ceased in 2012.


''World Nutrition''

In 2010 the World Public Health Nutrition Association launched a monthly online journal, ''World Nutrition''. Cannon designed, edited, and wrote a monthly column and editorial for the journal, ceasing as editor in 2016.


NOVA, ultra-processing and the new Guia

In early 2009, Cannon as a deputy editor of '' Public Health Nutrition'', invited Carlos Monteiro of the University of Sāo Paulo to write a commentary whose title was ‘Nutrition and health. The issue is not food, nor nutrients, so much as processing’. In the
USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, the thesis was immediately supported by
Michael Pollan Michael Kevin Pollan (; born February 6, 1955) is an American author and journalist, who is currently Professor of the Practice Non-Fiction and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Concurrently, he is the Knight Professo ...
and by
Marion Nestle Marion Nestle (born 1936) is an American molecular biologist, nutritionist, and public health advocate. She is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health Emerita at New York University. Her research examines s ...
. By 2012, the team led by Monteiro and now including Cannon, in consultation with investigators in other countries, developed the thesis into what became known as the NOVA classification. This divides all foods into four groups, according to the nature, extent and purpose of processing; unprocessed and minimally processed; processed culinary ingredients; processed foods; and ultra-processed foods. The team was in 2012 invited by the Brazilian federal Ministry of Health to draft the text of the second official national dietary guidelines. Published in 2014 in Spanish and English as well as Portuguese, these are based on the NOVA classification.
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
, and
Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
have also published national official dietary guidelines using the NOVA food classification, and they feature in a 2019
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
official government report. Monteiro, Cannon, and many other authors have published extensively on the NOVA system and its implications for nutrition, public health, society, economics, and the environment. In 2020, Cannon was among the most cited 1% of more than 600,000 investigators in 23 science disciplines throughout the world, based on Web of Science research engine findings. He was one of the 19 working in Brazil, four of whom came from Carlos Monteiro's department.


Personal life

After graduating from Balliol, Cannon lived in the
Bayswater Bayswater is an area within the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
,
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
, and
Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batter ...
areas of London from 1961 to 1968 with his first wife Antonia and their three children, Benedict, Matthew and Lucy. He then lived in
Notting Dale Notting Dale is a mainly residential enclave in the West London district of Notting Hill. It has variously been associated with Irish, Catholic and Gypsy populations. It forms an electoral ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospit ...
from 1968 to 1999. He married Caroline Walker in 1987; she died in 1988. He moved to Brazil in 2000. In early 2003 he moved to his wife Raquel Bittar's home city of
Juiz de Fora Juiz de Fora (, '' Outsider Judge''), also known as J.F., is a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, approximately from the state border with Rio de Janeiro. According to 2020 estimates the current population is about 57 ...
in the state of
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
, where the couple now live with her son Tauá and their son Gabriel. In 2007, he told ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'': "Europeans regard death as the final obscenity, but in Brazil everyone is familiar with it... I don't think she aquelwould have married me if I hadn't been 'trained' in Brazilian life by Caroline's death. To live fully you have to embrace all of life's experiences."


Publications

Cannon is author of seven books, editor of many reports, and author or co-author of more than 650 papers, commentaries, and profiles, including: * ''Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention'' (2009). Policy report (chief editor). Washington DC:
American Institute for Cancer Research The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is a large American cancer research organization associated with the World Cancer Research Fund umbrella organization. As of 2018, the charity has a "one star" rating from Charity Navigator Ch ...
/
World Cancer Research Fund World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the del ...
. . * ''Dieting Makes You Fat'' (2008). (New rewritten edition). London: Virgin. . * ''Food, Health and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective'' (2007). Second report (chief editor). Washington DC:
American Institute for Cancer Research The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is a large American cancer research organization associated with the World Cancer Research Fund umbrella organization. As of 2018, the charity has a "one star" rating from Charity Navigator Ch ...
/
World Cancer Research Fund World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the del ...
. * ''The New Nutrition Science'' (2005). (Chief writer, co-editor. with Claus Leitzmann.) Special issue of '' Public Health Nutrition''. . * ''The Fate of Nations, Food and Nutrition Policy in the New World'' (2003). Developed from the Caroline Walker Lecture given at the Royal Society. Caroline Walker Trust. . * ''Superbug. Nature’s Revenge'' (1995) London: Virgin. . * ''Food, Health and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective'' (1997). First report. (Director, chief editor). Washington DC:
American Institute for Cancer Research The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is a large American cancer research organization associated with the World Cancer Research Fund umbrella organization. As of 2018, the charity has a "one star" rating from Charity Navigator Ch ...
/
World Cancer Research Fund World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the del ...
. * ''The Good Fight. The Life and Work of Caroline Walker''. (1989). London: Ebury. * ''The Politics of Food'' (1987). London: Century. . * ''Fat To Fit'' (1986). London: Pan. . * ''The Food Scandal'' (1985) (with Caroline Walker) (Expanded paperback edition). London: Century. . * ''Dieting Makes You Fat'' (1983). (First edition, with Hetty Einzig). London: Century. . Cannon's most-cited papers in academic journals registered by the Web of Science are published by
Publons Publons was a commercial website that provided a free service for academics to track, verify, and showcase their peer review and editorial contributions for academic journals. It was launched in 2012 and was bought by Clarivate in 2017. It claime ...
. Most of Cannon's public health papers, commentaries, and profiles are published on his
ResearchGate ResearchGate is a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a 2014 study by ''Nature'' and a 2016 article in ''Times Higher Education'' ...
page. Many of Cannon's rock music articles appear in
Rock's Backpages Rock's Backpages is an online archive of music journalism, sourced from contributions to the music and mainstream press from the 1950s to the present day. The articles are full text and searchable, and all are reproduced with the permission of the ...
.


References


External links


Geoffrey Cannon
on
ResearchGate ResearchGate is a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a 2014 study by ''Nature'' and a 2016 article in ''Times Higher Education'' ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Geoffrey 1940 births Living people Writers from London People educated at Christ's Hospital Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford English music critics English magazine editors English food writers English health and wellness writers The Guardian journalists Rock critics