WHO says ultra‑processed food giants delay obesity regulations

World Health Organization Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that lawsuits filed by major ultra‑processed food companies are obstructing global efforts to curb obesity. An investigation covering 235 cases between 2010 and 2025 found that the legal actions, aimed at policies such as front‑of‑pack warning labels, sugary‑drink taxes and marketing restrictions, have added an average delay of 2.5 years per case – a cumulative 600 years of litigation. The lawsuits span Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom and have cost governments billions in health‑care and legal expenses. Eight multinational corporations – Coca‑Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Kellogg's, Danone, Ferrero, Xignux and Heartland Food Products Group – are linked to roughly 38 % of the cases; three‑quarters of the suits were ultimately lost, yet they still succeeded in slowing regulatory action. The WHO notes that nearly one‑billion people worldwide live with obesity, a condition that drives heart disease, type‑2 diabetes and cancer, and that low‑income nations are especially vulnerable because they lack resources to fight prolonged legal battles.