Junk food responsible for debilitating diseases – UN food expert

Unhealthy food products and harmful food marketing practices are wreaking havoc on the public health sector, according to a new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter.

Increased consumption of highly processed foods or “junk food” has been linked to the rise in diabetes, cancer and heart diseases, the report says.

In a UN Radio report, De Shutter warns that these foods attract people with the lowest incomes because they are cheap.

“One major source of obesity in the US for example which spends today around $180 billion just to combat type II diabetes that are the result of overweight and obesity. So we have to get the prices system right. It is simply not acceptable that poor people are unable to afford quality diets. That they develop illnesses as a result of not being able to afford healthy types of food,” De Schutter told the UN Radio.

The right to food expert therefore called on world leaders to counter food industry efforts to sell unbalanced processed products and ready-to-serve meals that are rich in fats, sugar and salt.

By Ekow Quandzie

Listen to De Schutter in attached audio below

[audio:http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/c-deshutter-food.mp3|titles=De Schutter on UN Radio]