World Health Organization Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health

Statement of CSPI's legal affairs director Bruce Silverglade

May 22, 2004

Geneva -- A handful of sugar-producing nations more concerned with the impact of dietary recommendations on agricultural trade than with the health of consumers, attempted to torpedo the WHO’s anti-obesity strategy.

While slightly weakened, the final version of the WHO strategy still contains the essential elements of a comprehensive public health strategy to combat obesity, including recommendations to control food marketing to children, consider the use of fiscal policies such as taxes to reduce consumption of less healthy foods, and to review agricultural programs that may be fueling the obesity epidemic.

We now urge the Bush Administration, Congress, and state governments to implement the WHO’s recommendations here at home and to exert a leadership role around the world to see that other countries do the same.