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U.S. Stalls U.N. Plan to Fight Obesity

Tue 20 January, 2004 20:06

 

By Stephanie Nebehay

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States, where two-thirds of adults are

overweight, succeeded Tuesday in stalling a global plan to fight an

obesity epidemic.

 

The World Health Organization executive had hoped to approve the

plan to promote healthy food and lifestyles, drawn up with the help

of member states, nutritional experts and the food industry, at the

end of a debate Tuesday.

 

But the United States, backed up by its powerful food industry, has

questioned findings on which the U.N. agency's plan is based and

called for more study.

 

The draft Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

warns that poor diets and lack of exercise are the leading causes of

cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. These

account for nearly 60 percent of 56.5 million deaths a year deemed

preventable.

 

It recommends a lower intake of sugar, sodium and artery-clogging

trans-fatty acids and suggests governments set taxation and subsidy

policies to promote healthy eating habits.

 

The WHO delayed deciding whether to approve the plan until the end

of February to allow for changes to the text.

 

Diplomats said U.S. opposition reflected pressure by its domestic

food lobby, especially the sugar industry.

 

William Steiger, head of the U.S. delegation, called the plan

a "good first step," but said it put too much of the burden for diet

reform on states and not enough on individuals.

 

"Government-imposed solutions are not always appropriate," he

said. "People need to be empowered to take responsibility for their

health."

 

The United States has disputed experts' assertions that heavy

marketing of high-calorie foods and advertising junk food on

children's television contributes to obesity.

 

Worldwide, 1.1 billion adults and 22 million children under age five

are obese, according to the World Heart Federation.

 

Sixty-five percent of U.S. adults are overweight, and some 38.8

million Americans, or 31 percent of the adult population, were

classified as obese, meaning their health was seriously at risk.

 

Obese people are more likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes,

several forms of cancer and less deadly disabilities such as

backaches.

 

Steiger conceded that obesity is a significant U.S. health

problem, "We are eating too much and moving too little with our

sedentary lifestyle," he said.

 

Grenada and Mauritius, two sugar-producing states, backed the U.S.

position on the 32-state board, as did Russia, South Korea and India.

 

Britain, backed by Canada and France, said it was urgent for

governments to educate youth worldwide about the dangers of junk

food and soft drinks.

 

"Obesity is a global epidemic. We see it as a health time bomb," Dr.

Liam Donaldson, Britain's chief medical officer, told the board.

 

"What the U.S. has achieved is reopening the consultative process.

It has created a window of opportunity to influence reshaping the

strategy," Neville Rigby, policy director at the International

Obesity Task Force, told Reuters.

 

"It is still all to play for... There will be a lot of horse trading

between now and May," he said, referring to the next World Health

Assembly, the WHO's governing body attended by ministers, which has

the final say on policy.

 

..........

 

Bush to World Health Organization: Junk food is good for you

Posted on Wednesday, January 21 @ 09:59:48 EST (842 reads)

 

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U.S. sets off furor in anti-obesity fight; Bush officials hit WHO's

focus on sugar, junk foods

 

By Judith Graham, Chicago Tribune

 

The U.S. is challenging a draft plan by the World Health

Organization to combat the growing worldwide epidemic of obesity,

provoking strong international criticism and charges that the food

industry is influencing the policy.

 

The Bush administration alleges that the WHO plan, under development

for three years, relies too heavily on questionable science to

recommend that people limit their intake of sugar and other refined

foods, among other measures.

 

The administration's position has caught international public health

officials by surprise and sent shock waves through the WHO governing

board, which is meeting in Geneva. The board is set to decide

Tuesday whether to endorse the new obesity plan.

 

"People are appalled and, frankly, extremely dismayed," Neville

Rigby, director of policy for the London-based International Obesity

Task Force, said Monday in Geneva.

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