What do you think about this?
If the report is accurate ( we don't have to take for granted what journalists say...) who runs modern countries?
What can citizens do? Vote for the persons who won't succumb to the pressures of the Big Companies or to organize themselves and fight back?
Read the article, it's interesting!
Mr.Unique, there is a refference for Australia too. Maybe you wish to take a break of Middle East and talk about POLITICS
Sugar giants threaten WHO's funding
April 22 2003
BITTER WORDS
The WHO guidelines say sugar should account for no more than 10 per cent
of a healthy diet.
The sugar industry claims the limit is scientifically flawed. It insists
that a quarter of our food and drink intake can safely consist of sugar.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sugar industry in the United States is threatening to bring the
World Health Organisation to its knees by asking Congress to stop
funding the body unless it scraps guidelines on healthy eating due to be
published tomorrow.
The threat is described by WHO insiders as tantamount to blackmail and
worse than any pressure by the tobacco lobby.
In a letter to the WHO director-general, Gro Harlem Brundtland, the
Sugar Association says it will "exercise every avenue available to
expose the dubious nature" of the WHO's report on diet and nutrition.
This includes a challenge to its $US406 million ($660 million) funding
from the US.
"Taxpayers' dollars should not be used to support misguided,
non-science-based reports which do not add to the health and wellbeing
of Americans, much less the rest of the world," the letter says. The
association and six other food industry groups have written to the US
Health Secretary, Tommy Thompson, asking him to use his influence to get
the WHO report withdrawn. The coalition includes the US Council for
International Business, comprising more than 300 companies, including
Coca-Cola and Pepsico.
The sugar lobby's strong-arm tactics were not new, said Professor
Phillip James, the British chairman of the International Obesity
Taskforce, who wrote a WHO report on diet and nutrition in 1990. The day
after his committee had decided on a 10 per cent limit, the World Sugar
Organisation "went into overdrive", he said. "Forty ambassadors wrote to
the WHO insisting our report should be removed, on the grounds that it
would do irreparable damage to countries in the developing world."
The Sugar Association objects to the new report having been published in
draft on the WHO's website for consultation purposes. In the letter to
Dr Brundtland, it calls for tomorrow's joint launch with the Food and
Agriculture Organisation to be cancelled.
The WHO rejects the sugar lobby's criticisms. An official said a team of
30 independent experts had considered the scientific evidence and its
conclusions were in line with the findings of 23 national reports.
Michael Bradley writes: Martyn Goddard, health spokesman for the
Australian Consumers Association, said the
US sugar industry move was outrageous.
"This is undermining the WHO, it's undermining international health,
it's undermining the health of Americans who are already among the most
obese people on earth, and, if this goes ahead, then the chances of
Australia being pressured to follow suit are immense.
"Australians already have a lot of sugar, fat, and salt in their diets.
Allowing more sugar in food makes it easier to sell to kids, and
childhood obesity is one of the great hidden health problems facing the
Western world."
"The Australian Government is attempting to curb the rate of childhood
obesity here, but if junk food and soft drink manufacturers get their
way, the Government might as well save their money and hold their breath."
The Guardian
This story was found at:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/21/1050777214161.html
If the report is accurate ( we don't have to take for granted what journalists say...) who runs modern countries?
What can citizens do? Vote for the persons who won't succumb to the pressures of the Big Companies or to organize themselves and fight back?
Read the article, it's interesting!
Mr.Unique, there is a refference for Australia too. Maybe you wish to take a break of Middle East and talk about POLITICS
Sugar giants threaten WHO's funding
April 22 2003
BITTER WORDS
The WHO guidelines say sugar should account for no more than 10 per cent
of a healthy diet.
The sugar industry claims the limit is scientifically flawed. It insists
that a quarter of our food and drink intake can safely consist of sugar.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sugar industry in the United States is threatening to bring the
World Health Organisation to its knees by asking Congress to stop
funding the body unless it scraps guidelines on healthy eating due to be
published tomorrow.
The threat is described by WHO insiders as tantamount to blackmail and
worse than any pressure by the tobacco lobby.
In a letter to the WHO director-general, Gro Harlem Brundtland, the
Sugar Association says it will "exercise every avenue available to
expose the dubious nature" of the WHO's report on diet and nutrition.
This includes a challenge to its $US406 million ($660 million) funding
from the US.
"Taxpayers' dollars should not be used to support misguided,
non-science-based reports which do not add to the health and wellbeing
of Americans, much less the rest of the world," the letter says. The
association and six other food industry groups have written to the US
Health Secretary, Tommy Thompson, asking him to use his influence to get
the WHO report withdrawn. The coalition includes the US Council for
International Business, comprising more than 300 companies, including
Coca-Cola and Pepsico.
The sugar lobby's strong-arm tactics were not new, said Professor
Phillip James, the British chairman of the International Obesity
Taskforce, who wrote a WHO report on diet and nutrition in 1990. The day
after his committee had decided on a 10 per cent limit, the World Sugar
Organisation "went into overdrive", he said. "Forty ambassadors wrote to
the WHO insisting our report should be removed, on the grounds that it
would do irreparable damage to countries in the developing world."
The Sugar Association objects to the new report having been published in
draft on the WHO's website for consultation purposes. In the letter to
Dr Brundtland, it calls for tomorrow's joint launch with the Food and
Agriculture Organisation to be cancelled.
The WHO rejects the sugar lobby's criticisms. An official said a team of
30 independent experts had considered the scientific evidence and its
conclusions were in line with the findings of 23 national reports.
Michael Bradley writes: Martyn Goddard, health spokesman for the
Australian Consumers Association, said the
US sugar industry move was outrageous.
"This is undermining the WHO, it's undermining international health,
it's undermining the health of Americans who are already among the most
obese people on earth, and, if this goes ahead, then the chances of
Australia being pressured to follow suit are immense.
"Australians already have a lot of sugar, fat, and salt in their diets.
Allowing more sugar in food makes it easier to sell to kids, and
childhood obesity is one of the great hidden health problems facing the
Western world."
"The Australian Government is attempting to curb the rate of childhood
obesity here, but if junk food and soft drink manufacturers get their
way, the Government might as well save their money and hold their breath."
The Guardian
This story was found at:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/21/1050777214161.html
