WHO accuses food firms of obstructing obesity efforts
The report discusses the legal battles between ultra-processed food companies and governments over the implementation of health policies aimed at reducing obesity. The World Health Organization accused these companies of attempting to hinder government efforts through lawsuits, with the goal of undermining public health laws that require warning labels, the imposition of taxes, or restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods. Since 2010, food companies have filed approximately 235 lawsuits in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with about 75% of them lost. Although governments have won most of these cases, the lawsuits have slowed the implementation of essential health policies, leading to continued high consumption of ultra-processed foods—which now account for half of the diet in several countries—resulting in record levels of obesity. Globally, nearly one billion people are affected, and obesity is a major cause of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
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