GLOBE EDITORIAL
The global dietTHE WORLD Health Organization, resisting pressure from sugar-producing nations, has approved a strategy to fight obesity that urges limits on sugar and salt, among other sensible suggestions. A panel of US scientists is suggesting that the federal government also adopt strong food guidelines. Support for the WHO strategy by the Bush administration offers hope that it will endorse a shift in policy that will provide a blueprint for lifetime weight control.
Support by the administration for the WHO document is in contrast to its criticism of an earlier draft. The United States "favors dietary guidance . . . that promotes the view that all foods can be part of a healhty and balanced diet," an aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson wrote in January. Not all foods are created equal when it comes to preventing obesity and maintaining overall health. The WHO was right to recommend that national health departments urge people to "limit intake of free sugars," "limit energy intake from total fat," "limit salt consumption," and "increase consumption of fruits and vegetables." Secretary Thompson praised the WHO document as "a sound blueprint for action for all of us." He and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman are in charge of the effort to revise federal dietary guidelines. A committee of scientists that will offer recommendations to Thompson and Veneman is working on a revision that would shift the emphasis from carbohydrates to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole-grain foods.
The food industry has lobbied hard to prevent the guidelines from singling out specific foods for criticism. That is why this page supports giving responsibility for the guidelines to the nonpartisan Institute of Medicine. However, the scientific advisers and Thompson can still produce a sound document if they heed the WHO example. The WHO strategy is for all nations, many of which are more concerned about malnutrition than overeating. In the United States, obesity has become an epidemic. Americans need guidelines that are at least as clear and compelling as the WHO global strategy. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
|
