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The Ethical Regulation Of Transnational Food Companies And Implement Strategies That Promote Healthy Diets

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Over the last 20 years the worldwide prevalence of obesity has more than doubled, making it the fastest growing cause of disease and death worldwide1 . The expanding markets in developing countries due to globalization have attracted the influx of multinational food and drink companies into these countries with aggressive marketing strategies targeted mainly at children. This has resulted in a nutritional transition from traditional plant based diets to western high fat, energy dense diets with a consequent rise in the prevalence of Non communicable diseases2. The double burden of disease it presents alongside infectious diseases threatens to overwhelms the weak healthcare systems in these countries 3, posing a significant threat to the strides made over the last decade in improving health outcomes globally particularly child mortality rates. Primary prevention is the only feasible solution to halt this alarming paradigm. In order to achieve this goal, the United Nations Assembly must ensure the ethical regulation of transnational food companies and implement strategies that promote healthy diets and lifestyle to safeguard the health of not just the present generation but future ones to come.
NATURE AND MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM
43 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2013, with the rate increase in childhood overweight and obesity in developing countries (10 million in Sub-Saharan African and 7 million in East Asia and the Pacific) more than 30%
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