February 02, 2004 Recent News
Britons tip Europe's scale with most obesity cases
Britain: Pressure grows for curbs on junk food ads
Britain: Ads are ignored by kids
Cost of obesity in the US put at $75bn a year
Large food portions in U.S. a major culprit in overweight
WHO obesity proposal advances amid U.S. corporate opposition
Britons tip Europe's scale with most obesity cases
Britain's obesity problem is the worst in Europe, and the third-worst in the world, behind Mexico and the U.S. A 2002 national health survey estimated one-third of all British children between two and 15 years old are overweight or obese. The National Obesity Forum, an independent UK group formed to raise awareness of the impact of obesity, and others are urging a unified effort by the government and private sector - plus a radical change in lifestyle - to address a problem now on a par with alcoholism in its financial burden on the UK's health-care system.
(Extracted from The Wall Street Journal Europe, 1/22/04)
Britain: Pressure grows for curbs on junk food ads
Pressure is mounting on the government to introduce greater restrictions on advertising junk food to children. A survey published today shows 85 percent of Britons believe there should be greater controls on the way fast foods are promoted to children. The survey comes after Coca-Cola gave in to pressure and announced it was removing its advertising from 4,000 vending machines in 1,500 schools around the country.
(Extracted from The Guardian, 1/27/04)
Britain: Ads are ignored by kids
Taste rather than TV ads dictate what children eat, a study has revealed. The survey, conducted by research group Child Wise, comes weeks after the Government clamped down on junk food ads in a bid to cut child obesity. The survey, commissioned by retail trade magazine, The Grocer, found any changes in legislation would have little effect on the eating habits of British youngsters.
(Extracted from Scottish Daily Record, 1/20/04)
Cost of obesity in the US put at $75bn a year
According to a new study, the US spent $75 billion on obesity-related illnesses last year and half of that amount was financed by taxpayers through Medicare and Medicaid. The study found that the percentage of annual medical expenditures in each state attributable to obesity ranged from 4 percent in Arizona to 6.7 percent in Alaska last year. RTI International, an independent research organization, and the Center for Disease Control, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, conducted the study.
(Extracted from Financial Times, London, 1/22/04)
Large food portions in U.S. a major culprit in overweight
"In the obesity war, portion size is the first casualty," said Professor Brian Wansink. The University of Illinois researcher has set up several food experiments that show the more people are given, the more they will eat - regardless of whether they are full or think the food tastes good.
(Extracted from Health & Medicine Week, 1/26/04)
WHO obesity proposal advances amid U.S. corporate opposition
The US government and food industry has criticized the World Health Organization's proposal to combat obesity globally. Despite that opposition, the WHO's 32-nation executive board backed the strategy. A final resolution to the plan will be drafted in the next few days and the overall strategy is expected to be adopted by WHO member states in May. Health officials have predicted there will be a huge battle over the draft in coming weeks. The final version will be ready in mid-March with the vote coming in May. (Financial Times 21 Jan 04) -- US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has acknowledged concerns the US has expressed over some provisions of the plan. He noted, however, that the US government backed an executive resolution asking the World Health Assembly to give formal approval to the WHO plan. He said the extra month the group has given governments to comment on the plan was needed to ensure more scientifically based evidence in the guidelines. Critics say the month is to allow more time for lobbying against it. (Associated Press Newswires 22 Jan 04)
(Extracted from Wall Street Journal Europe, 1/21/04)
