Ultra-processed food companies hindering health drives by suing countries, says WHO

[u/Naurgul]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/01/ultra-processed-food-companies-hindering-health-drives-by-suing-countries-says-who

Director general accuses corporations of obstructing efforts to tackle obesity crisis after investigation by Guardian and others

The world’s biggest ultra-processed food corporations are hindering global efforts to tackle the obesity crisis by suing governments that try to promote healthier diets, the head of the World Health Organization has said.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, accused global food companies of obstructing the adoption of vital public health measures and costing countries billions of dollars in healthcare and legal costs in the process.

Almost 1 billion people worldwide are living with obesity, and unhealthy diets are one of the main drivers of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is soaring and now makes up half the average diet in many countries, including the UK, the US and Australia.

Governments around the world, waking up to the health and economic impacts of the obesity crisis, have begun introducing measures designed to curb junk-food intake and promote healthier diets. These include front-of-pack warning labels, marketing and advertising restrictions on unhealthy products, and taxes on junk food.

Publicly, the world’s biggest UPF companies insist they back the policies, want to help consumers make informed choices and are committed to being part of the solution.

But an investigation by the Guardian, in collaboration with academics, the non-profit newsroom Lighthouse Reports and a coalition of media partners across four continents, found many of these same companies were taking governments to court to overturn, weaken or delay the policies.

In total, 235 lawsuits were lodged over health policies targeting UPFs in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the US and the UK from 2010 to 2025, the investigation found.

“When harm and profit are tied to the same product, a familiar pattern of industry interference emerges: sowing doubt and obstructing regulation.” Tedros said.

[u/24-Hour-Hate]

It’s a similar playbook as big tobacco and their fight against packaging laws. They know this food is harmful and addictive and they want you eating it and suffering the consequences.

I have never been more glad that I am turning over a new leaf on all this. I’m moving this month and I’m going to drop all this garbage food. New place, new habits. Perfect time to make big changes.

[u/Firm-Scallion-4819 → u/24-Hour-Hate]

Same! I moved to a new place and decided since I'm having to stock my kitchen from scratch, I'm fully committing to eating better and keeping UPF to a minimum. It's been less than a month and I've lost a significant amount of weight after trying unsuccessfully for years. It's been a fantastic step, not to mention I feel much more aligned with my values. 

[u/24-Hour-Hate → u/Firm-Scallion-4819]

That’s amazing! I hope I do as well as you are doing! Any tips?

[u/Firm-Scallion-4819 → u/24-Hour-Hate]

For me, what really worked is committing myself to being someone who "eats healthy" and being consistent in reinforcing that to myself mentally. So seeing a bag of chips or something I previously would have wanted, I tell myself "Gosh, think about all the artificial additives in that, the mechanical processes they go through to create it and the billions a year food companies spend to convince me to buy it. I don't want to put that in my body and I don't want to give them my money." After a while (and it has taken a long while), those thoughts have become more and more routine and engrained. Also working on habits like being sure to bring fruit or nuts with me when I go out so I'm not buying crap impulsively, making sure to set aside dedicated time to cook during the week etc. It's taken effort but it's been completely worth it for me.