COPENHAGEN: On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) attributed 2.7 million deaths annually in Europe to four major sectors: alcohol, tobacco, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and fossil fuels. The WHO also accused these businesses of impeding public initiatives that could negatively impact their profitability.
According to a statement from Hans Kluge, the head of the WHO Europe region, which includes 53 nations in Central Asia, “[These] four industries kill at least 7,000 people in our region every day.”
It contended that industry practices included deceiving consumers, taking advantage of the weak through targeted marketing strategies, and fabricating claims about the advantages of their products or their environmental credentials.
It further stated, “These strategies jeopardize the progress made in public health over the previous century and hinder nations from meeting their health goals.”
The WHO claimed that industry lobbying was impeding attempts to address non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
The WHO estimates that one-third of children and over 60% of adults in Europe are overweight or obese.
The WHO stated in a report that the concentration of these industry sectors into a small number of multinational corporations “has enabled them to wield significant power over the political and legal contexts in which they operate, and to obstruct public interest regulations which could impact their profit margins.”
It contended that industry practices included deceiving consumers, taking advantage of the weak through targeted marketing strategies, and fabricating claims about the advantages of their products or their environmental credentials.
It further stated, “These strategies jeopardize the progress made in public health over the previous century and hinder nations from meeting their health goals.”
The WHO claimed that industry lobbying was impeding attempts to address non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
The WHO estimates that one-third of children and over 60% of adults in Europe are overweight or obese.
