Bush Sweet On Sugar

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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 Thompson. 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 Jose 'Pepe' Fanjul, head of Florida Crystals, has raised at least $100,000 for Bush's re-election campaign.