Keyword: Obesity
Articles
The WHO’s new therapeutic guidelines—as reported by Politico—include a conditional recommendation for the use of so-called GLP-1 drugs, such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro. More specifically, the WHO described its recommendation as “conditional” due to the limited data on the long-term effectiveness and safety of GLP-1s. Although GLP-1s are now an established treatment in high-income countries, the WHO fears they could reach less than 10% of the people who could benefit from them by 2030.
If in the past all the signals from the Anglo-Saxon world on the subject have been negative (e.g.: In the USA obesity kills more than weapons) now, it seems, something is starting to “move”: yesterday’s news that the American FDA intends to put labels on the front of packages on salt, saturated fats etc. is an excellent signal also for Europe which is struggling to find its way on the subject.
It is the poorest segments of society that bear the brunt of ultra-processed food marketing—which leads to obesity, diabetes, and cancer. EU indecision harms the health of its citizens.
US to regulate labeling of ultra-processed foods but food industry is sure to push back citing “significant cost increases”
The known risk factors are sedentary behavior, diet, in addition to the increase in obesity and diabetes rates. And then there is an environmental problem, to be explored further. In the meantime, the European Commission has banned granules for synthetic grass: scrubs and cosmetics containing micrograins, glitter for make-up or detergents, glitter used in the world of stationery and toys.
Ultra-processed foods cause obesity, diabetes and cancer but the food industry – by recruiting compliant scientists, funding studies, pushing clever marketing messages and influencing politics – has been able to cook up a self-serving narrative that shifts blame for the harm their products cause.
When, in the 1990s, I began my personal and corporate journey (at Esselunga) toward organic products, Dr. Claudio Arnoldi, the Quality Control Manager, told me that organic food had a primarily environmental value.
Today, 25 years later, there is growing evidence that consuming organic food has a health benefit—and that climate, environment, health, and food are all interconnected. Moreover, there is increasing discussion about an addiction to junk food (ultra-processed food), whose consumption has skyrocketed, leading to cancer, diabetes, and obesity, especially among young people.
The arguments of the soft drink manufacturers are not very credible because they can easily absorb the additional costs of recipes with less sugar, if we push them to develop them. Every evolution in favor of the health of consumers, against cancer and obesity, is simply blocked by their lobbying.
Ultra-processed foods are gradually replacing foods tied to local cultures even in countries like Japan, in China Gen Z is getting married to karaoke or fast food and three out of five consumers in the world buy a low-cost ready-made food at least once a week, and one out of five does so every day, and the trend is increasing.
The piece begins by acknowledging that our food has turned into junk, especially in Northern countries – for example, in the United States, where obesity kills more than guns – and that eating too much packaged food might even cause cancer. Added to this is the fact that the eating habits of our youth could be one of the origins of the rising cancer rates among our children. Based on these premises, the Foundation will, over the coming months, address topics related to food, pollution, and certain diseases, including cancer. This article blends health protection with food history.
UNICEF: Citizens in poorer regions increasingly rely on cheaper ultra-processed foods and drinks. The alternatives are therefore: malnutrition and obesity.