Sugar and WHO

[Guest guest]

Yesterday the World Health Organization launched a report on diet and

nutrition, saying that sugar should be restricted to 10% of caloric

intake.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2003/pr32/en/

Predictably, the sugar industry threw fits and called on their cronies in

Congress to cut off WHO funding.

http://www.sugar.org/newsroom/releases.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,942354,00.html

Apparently they're fighting and clawing even more than the tobacco

industry in similar circusmtances, and WHO fears that lobbyists have more

power with the Bush administration. The sugar industry believes that

inactivity, not our increased sugar consumption, is the primary cause of

the obesity epidemic, and recommends %25 of our calories come from sugar.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,940287,00.html

[Guest guest]

At 09:30 AM 4/24/2003 -0400, you wrote:

>Yesterday the World Health Organization launched a report on diet and

>nutrition, saying that sugar should be restricted to 10% of caloric

>intake.

>

>

><http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2003/pr32/en/>http://www.who.int/media\

centre/releases/2003/pr32/en/

Of course, it ALSO recommends to cut down on fat and that most of the

energy should come from carbs, which should make the grain lobby happy.

It's basically the food pyramid again ...

The FAO/WHO Joint Expert Report is based on the collective judgement of a

group of 30 independent experts with a global perspective, who worked with

around 30 of their peers to review the best currently available evidence on

diet, nutrition and its effects on chronic diseases. The Report's specific

recommendations on diet include limiting fat to between 15 and 30 per cent

of total daily energy intake, and saturated fats to less than 10 per cent.

The Report suggests that carbohydrates should provide the bulk of energy

requirements – between 55 and 75 per cent of daily intake, but that free

(i.e. added) sugars should remain beneath 10 per cent. Daily intake of

salt, which should be iodized, should be restricted to less than 5 grams a

day, while the intake of fruit and vegetables should be at least 400 grams.

The recommended protein intake is 10-to-15 per cent. It also notes that

physical activity is a key factor in determining the amount of energy spent

each day and is fundamental to energy balance and weight control. One hour

per day of moderate-intensity activity, such as walking, on most days of

the week, is needed to maintain a healthy body weight.

-- Heidi S