Confronting the epidemic: The need for global solutions

Abstract

The epidemic of obesity is global and legal actions to stem the epidemic must become global. We address the prevalence of overweight and obesity: the scope and size of the epidemic, and how food marketing has aggravated the problem. The metabolic syndrome, a new feature of the epidemic now threatens health in the US and other industrial countries. Government subsidies contribute to excessive consumption. Economic costs of obesity are enormous, and routinely understated. The IOTF has encouraged the new WHO strategy on diet, physical activity, and health, but endorsement by WHO of national policies may not be sufficient to turn the tide globally. We note that lawsuits in the US and regulation elsewhere are alerting people to the epidemic. Markets, bankers, and investors too, may become a driving force for responsible actions. And a sense of shared responsibility is what it will take to arrest this plague caused an irresponsible response to improving food production.