RE: Sugar Politics - Bush Sweet on Sugar

January 21, 2004

BUSH SWEET ON SUGAR

The World Health Oragnization's leading scientists are accusing the

Bush administration of putting the sugar industry's interests ahead

of the global fight against obesity. The Observer reports,

" Professor Kaare Norum, leader of the World Health Organisation's

fight to prevent millions developing diet-related diseases, has

sparked an international war of words with a highly critical letter

to US Health Secretary Tommy . In it he tells of his grave

concern over American opposition to the WHO's blueprint to combat

obesity. He accuses the US of making the health of millions of

young Americans 'a hostage to fortune' because it has failed to

take action over the fat epidemic as a result of its business

interests, particularly the sugar lobby. " The Bush administration

says weight control is a matter for the individual, not the state,

and has criticized the WHO strategy for its lack of sound science.

Bush and fellow senators have received hundreds of thousands of

dollars in funding from " Big Sugar. " According to the Observer,

sugar baron 'Pepe' Fanjul, head of Florida Crystals, has

raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election campaign.

SOURCE: Observer (UK), January 18, 2004

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