Obesity rates soar due to dramatic global diet shift, UN agency

GENEVA, 17 Oct. - (ANA) - Eating food high in starch, sugar, fats and salt; combined with a sedentary lifestyle, is a recipe for soaring global obesity rates, even in countries where many still suffer from hunger. On World Food Day, on Wednesday, the UN’s food agency, FAO, called for action to make healthy, sustainable diets affordable and accessible for all.

The shift away from seasonal, mainly plant-based and fibre-rich food has occurred in recent decades, as a result of globalization, urbanization and growth in income, says FAO, as busy consumers in urban areas find less time to cook at home, and rely increasingly on fast-food outlets, street food vendors and take-away meals.

As well as impacting health, the way that food is currently consumed and produced is having a significant effect on climate change. Mr. Guterres announced that he hopes to convene a major Food Systems Summit in 2021, as part of the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs.  - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/17 October 2019 - - -