World Health Organization Issues Dietary Guidelines

By George Anderson


Reuters reports the World Health Organization (WHO) has published new dietary guidelines that include among its recommendations “sugars should not account for more than 10 percent of the energy in an average diet”.


The WHO believes that adopting the new guidelines will help counter the “epidemic” obesity “estimated to have cost the U.S. economy alone some $117 billion in 2000.”


The WHO guidelines run counter to the Sugar Association’s 25-percent recommendation. The Association developed its guidelines “based on a 2002 report by the Institute of Medicine, part of the U.S. Academy of Science.”


Moderator’s Comment: Should food manufacturers and
retailers support the new dietary guidelines from the World Health Organization?


The Sugar Association calls the WHO guidelines “misguided
and misleading.” It argues that diet is one component of obesity. It suggests,
rightly, that people need to exercise more.


A new report from the American Cancer Society says 14
percent of deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of cancer deaths in women
may be due to being overweight and obese. [George
Anderson – Moderator
]

 

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