WHO: Junk Food Companies Allegedly Block Healthier Diet Measures

The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that major junk food corporations are actively hindering global efforts to encourage healthier eating habits. These companies reportedly engage in legal battles against stricter regulations, such as sugar taxes and mandatory warning labels on packaging, thereby obstructing initiatives aimed at combating obesity.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that global food companies are responsible for billions in costs, both to healthcare systems and through protracted legal disputes. Globally, approximately one billion people are severely overweight, and unhealthy diets significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Concurrently, the consumption of highly processed foods like soft drinks, sweets, and ready-to-eat meals is rising, accounting for roughly half of the diet in some countries, including Germany, the UK, and the US.

Between 2010 and 2025, 235 lawsuits were filed against public health measures in the US, UK, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia. These legal challenges targeted increased taxes, warning labels, and advertising bans. According to research, companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Kellogg's, Danone, Ferrero, Xignux, and the Heartland Food Products Group are among those involved in these lawsuits. Approximately three-quarters of the decided cases have resulted in manufacturers losing.

Some of these unsuccessful lawsuits have managed to block the implementation of health measures for years. "When harm and profit are linked to the same product, a familiar pattern of industry influence emerges: sow doubt and obstruct regulation," Tedros said. The legal processes also have a deterrent effect, potentially discouraging governments from introducing necessary protective measures. The WHO has long urged countries to regulate highly processed foods more strictly. In Germany, discussions are underway to ban junk food advertising specifically targeting children, and the government has agreed on a sugar tax for sweetened beverages, projected to generate 650 million euros for the state next year.

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When harm and profit are linked to the same product, a familiar pattern of industry influence emerges: sow doubt and obstruct regulation.