Consumer activists recently accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of "caving in" to the United States and the junk food industry after the U.N. agency revised its blueprint for tackling obesity worldwide.
The plan aims to promote healthy foods and lifestyles amid soaring death rates from cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
They said a draft of WHO's Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was weakened by changes including deletion of a passage urging states to offer incentives for producing, marketing and transporting fruit, vegetables and other healthy produce.
The revised draft was issued on Monday after officials studied suggestions and objections from member states and food industry lobbyists.
"The WHO caved into the United States and the junk food industry by deleting support for policies that promote the production and marketing of fruit, vegetables and legumes," said the U.S.-based group Commercial Alert.
Critics say Washington bowed to pressure from its powerful food industry to water down the plan. WHO's 192 member states, who ordered the strategy drawn up two years ago, are due to endorse a final document at their annual assembly in May.
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