Director general accuses corporations of obstructing efforts to tackle obesity crisis after investigation by Guardian and others
The world’s biggest ultra-processed food corporations are hindering global efforts to tackle the obesity crisis by suing governments that try to promote healthier diets, the head of the World Health Organization has said.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, accused global food companies of obstructing the adoption of vital public health measures and costing countries billions of dollars in healthcare and legal costs in the process.
Almost 1 billion people worldwide are living with obesity, and unhealthy diets are one of the main drivers of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is soaring and now makes up half the average diet in many countries, including the UK, the US and Australia.
seems fair, if there was a law that only targeted one company they absolutely should be able to challenge it. Same as if a law target one person.
None of this is about targeting a single company. It’s about Lays suing a country for having e.g. government educational programs about healthy eating or about PhillipMorris suing a country having e.g. a government anti-smoking program.