Demystifying Commercial Influences on Health: Applying Systems Dynamics Methodologies to Policy Processes Comment on "Using System Dynamics to Understand Transnational Corporate Power in Diet-Related Non-communicable Disease Prevention Policy-Making: A Case Study of South Africa"

In their study on which we provide commentary, the authors applied a qualitative systems dynamics methodology to explore how transnational corporate power has led to policy inertia in the prevention of diet-related non-communicable disease (RD-NCD) in South Africa. This commentary explores the potential of systems thinking and causal loop diagrams to deepen understandings of – and responses to – the commercial determinants of health (CDOH). We reflect on the application of causal loop diagrams in policy processes and provide reflections that proposed strategies for change will need to take into account recent shifts in global discourse, funding streams and the balance of global power.