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Activists Say U.S. Tries
to Sap World Obesity Fight
Consumer groups accused the United States of trying
to sabotage a global fight against obesity targeting junk
food and soft drinks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) executive, which includes
the United States and 31 other countries, will debate on
Tuesday a plan drawn up by the U.N. agency after talks with
member states, nutritional experts and the food industry.
The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
says poor diets and lack of exercise are the leading cause
of illnesses including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and
certain cancers. These account for nearly 60 percent of
56.5 million deaths a year deemed preventable.
As well as recommending lower intake of sugar, sodium and
artery-clogging trans-fatty acids, the WHO plan urges countries
to restrict food and beverage advertisements aimed at children.
It also suggests that governments gear their taxation and
subsidy policies to encourage healthy eating habits.
But activist groups charged that the U.S. administration,
under pressure from the domestic food industry, aims to
weaken the plan when it comes before the executive board,
which meets from January 19-24.
Senior U.S. health department official William Steiger,
who sits on the board, has challenged some of the findings
of a nutrition study carried out with the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization, which forms the basis for the
strategy.
In an interview with the Washington Post on Friday, he said:
"We have a whole series of potential changes we'd like
to see... What's lacking is the notion of personal responsibility
as opposed to what the government can do."
LEAKED TO ACTIVISTS
In a letter to WHO chief Lee Jong-Wook, which was leaked
to activists, Steiger said the WHO-FAO report did not meet
U.S. scientific standards, including peer review criteria.
"The assertion that heavy marketing of energy-dense
foods or fast food outlets increases the risk of obesity
is supported by almost no data," his letter said.
"No data have yet clearly demonstrated that the advertising
on children's television causes obesity."
Steiger also said the WHO/FAO Report exceeded the two U.N.
agencies' mandates by addressing "broad areas of trade,
agricultural subsidies and advertising."
"The Bush Administration is putting the interests of
the junk food industry ahead of the health of people --
including children -- on a global scale," Commercial
Alert, a non-profit group based in Portland, Oregon, said
in a statement.
WHO officials said they expected a significant number of
lobbyists representing the Grocery Manufacturers of America
and the Sugar Association as well as food interests from
other countries to be in Geneva for the meeting.
"These tactics are reminiscent of the tobacco industry's
sinister efforts to oppose global anti-smoking initiatives,"
said the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public
Interest.
Article Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: N/A
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