WHO takes on junk food firms in war on obesity

The World Health Organisation is to call for strict controls on junk food in a major campaign against obesity.

The agency will unveil the strategy next week after evidence that obesity has become a global epidemic that is directly linked to more than 30 million deaths each year. The WHO believes that obesity is now one of the world's three greatest health threats, along with smoking and malnutrition. Recent estimates suggest that 1.7 billion people are now overweight, leading to a surge in diseases such as cancers and diabetes.

The WHO will call for heavy cuts in the use of sugar, salt and saturated fats - a move that will alarm many of Britain's top-selling brands, including Cadbury's, Coca-Cola, and Birds Eye.

The WHO will produce a policy paper calling for new daily limits for sugar, salt and fats, as well as tougher control of food advertising.

The safety threshold for sugar would be 10gms a day - a limit already exceeded by one 500ml bottle of cola. Salt should be limited to 5gms a day - the amount in a standard tin of baked beans.

The report, which is expected to be adopted as the agency's official policy, comes as the Commons Health Select Committee prepares to cross-examine Pepsi, McDonald's, Kelloggs and Cadbury Schweppes. All four companies will be challenged on their products, their targeting of children, and their use of sports stars such as David Beckham to sell soft drinks.

David Hinchliffe, the committee chairman, said these companies were facing pressure to change their sales strategies. "It is in their commercial interests to do so. More and more people are becoming conscious of the serious public health crisis of obesity," he said.

Heinz and Coca-Cola last week announced plans to scale back their marketing at pre-school children. But these companies claim that cuts in school sports and more sedentary jobs are largely to blame for obesity. McDonald's insists it now offers a healthy range of foods in its branches.

The WHO report will increase pressure on the British government to introduce regulations on food advertising. The UK Food Standards Agency is already considering restricting adverts on children's television.