Post-war non-communicable disease ignored - UPI.com LONDON, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Countries in the aftermath of war have increased risk of mental health problems and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, British researchers say. Bayard Roberts and Martin McKee, both of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and colleagues said countries recovering from war are also at increased risk of exploitation by alcohol, tobacco and food companies. "This toxic combination of stress, harmful health behaviors and aggressive marketing by multinational companies in transitional settings requires an effective policy response but often the state has limited capacity to do this," the researchers said in a statement. After exposure to violent and traumatic events, people may be prone to developing harmful health behaviors, such as excessive drinking and smoking, which increases the risk of high-blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. A lack of strong will from authorities to restore the health system leaves an open door for commercial ventures to influence health policy to their advantage, the researchers said. "This policy vacuum provides an open door for multinational companies to influence policies in ways that undermine efforts to control tobacco and alcohol use or improve unhealthy diets in transitional countries," the researchers said. The findings were published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.