Tag Archive for: Healthy nutrition

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We participate in the launch of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Childhood Obesity

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

BUENOS AIRES. On Friday, November 24, there is a day for the presentation of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Childhood Obesity; What is sought from this initiative is to decrease the highest rates of this epidemic, based on mutual and collaborative work.

Currently, there are about 41 million children under 5 years of age who are overweight or obese, of which more than 80% live in developing countries. The data available in the Latin American region indicate that, in general terms, 20% to 25% of those under 19 years of age are affected by overweight and obesity. In Argentina, the World School Health Survey conducted in 2012, showed that overweight among students was 28.6% in 2012, being higher among men (35.9% vs. 21.8% women) and with higher prevalence at younger ages.

The event contains instances for intersectoral dialogue in order to discuss the situation of the problem in Argentina, define lines of action and next steps. Representatives of international organizations such as PAHO Argentina, representatives of the governmental sector, and members of the academic and civil society are participating.

In addition, the first consensual document of the Coalition is presented, which deals with policy standards for healthy school environments in Argentina. The same was working in a coordinated manner among the members and its final conclusion is intended, from this day.

Our decision to participate in this network arises with the intention of addressing more effectively an important public health problem. In addition, we believe that it is necessary that these spaces have local data for the purpose of designing policies appropriate to local realities in terms of healthy eating.

Contact

Juan Carballo – juanmcarballo@fundeps.org

Agustina Mozzoni – agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

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Introducing amicus curiae to defend the right to information and health

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

 

On August 10, we made a presentation before the Colombian Constitutional Court to clarify the content and scope of the fundamental right to health. An amicus curiae (friend of the court or friend of the court) is a presentation made by a non-litigious third party, where he voluntarily offers an opinion on some aspect of law, to collaborate with the court in the resolution of the litigation.

The Colombian Association of Consumer Education (Educar Consumidores) launched in August 2016 a campaign called “Take care of your life – Tómala en Serio”, which sought to provide information on the harmful health consequences of regular consumption of certain sugary drinks. In the framework of this campaign, a video was broadcast on television and on radio that showed the high sugar content of these beverages, connecting these behaviors with health complications such as diabetes or obesity, which occur both in Colombia and throughout Region of Latin America. Postobon S.A., a sweetened beverage company from Colombia, denounced this video before the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC). As a result, the SIC prohibited by resolution 59176, the dissemination of the commercials alleging that it was “misleading advertising” for not having scientific or medical support for their assertions.

Resolution 59176 issued by the SIC ordered Educar Consumidores to cease the dissemination of the commercial. Also, it ordered to send to the office of the Delegation of Research and Consumer Protection of the SIC, any advertising piece that in the future wishes to transmit on the consumption of sweetened beverages (BBAA) before its publication. This restriction would apply to any medium of communication, including social networks; And the SIC established it with the objective of exercising prior control over it and deciding whether to authorize its publication and dissemination or not, under penalty of fine.

Faced with this situation, Educar Consumidores filed a lawsuit claiming for violation of its freedom to express itself in a matter of public interest. At the same time, Dejusticia filed a supplementary legal action claiming that the resolution of the SIC violated the right of consumers to access relevant information. After different instances and a very good decision of the Supreme Court of Colombia that was already commented by FUNDEPS, both cases were accumulated by the Constitutional Court. In this instance, the Constitutional Court will have the opportunity to clarify the limits of the commercial discourse and its differences with the awareness campaigns. At the same time, it may raise the relevance of access to information to ensure the right to health and to make consumer decisions with adequate information.

The amicus presented together with FiC Argentina provides arguments of international human rights law that we consider relevant for the resolution of the case. With this intervention, we hope to contribute to the solution of a case that we consider to be of extreme importance for both Colombia and the rest of Latin America. Judicial processes like this have great repercussions both globally and regionally, as they generate valuable jurisdictional background on the important issue of healthy eating.

The foundations of the amicus curiae seek to demonstrate that the measures adopted by the SIC resolution mean a violation of human rights obligations at different levels, while weakening the possibilities of responding to a global epidemic of malnutrition and obesity. On the one hand, it violates the freedom of expression of a civil society organization, it is even a clear prior censorship regarding its action in the public sphere. It also implies a violation of human rights obligations as it violates the recommendations of monitoring bodies on how to deal with the obesity epidemic. Different bodies and specialized offices such as CDESC, CRC or rapporteurs for the right to health or the right to food have pointed out that the obesity epidemic is definitely a human rights problem affecting a vulnerable population: children And adolescents.

From FUNDEPS and FIC Argentina we believe that this decision will have relevance both within Colombia and at the regional level. The growth of obesity – with a particularly strong impact on children and adolescents – and the strong presence of advertising strategies in the food industry are repeated throughout the region. Chronic noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. It is the duty of the State to respect, guarantee and protect the rights of its citizens, especially when dealing with fundamental issues such as the protection of health. Therefore, the decision of the Court in this case will be important beyond the borders of Colombia.

More information

– Amicus Curiae presented at Colombian Constitutional Court

Author

María Victoria Gerbaldo

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni – agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

Juan Carballo – juanmcarballo@fundeps.org

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First meeting of the National Commission on Healthy Eating and Obesity Prevention

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

The main objective of the meeting is to inform about the lines of action that the Program develops and to propose strategies for the joint work. This Commission was established on the basis of Resolution 732/2016 that determined the creation of the National Program of Healthy Food and Obesity Prevention in the scope of the Direction of Promotion of the Health and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.

At the beginning of the event, Dr. Adolfo Rubinstein (Secretary of Health Promotion, Prevention and Control of Risks) and Dr. Verónica Schoj (Director of Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases) speak. Veronica Risso Patrón (Coordinator of the National Program for Healthy Eating and Obesity Prevention) explains the Commission’s working proposal: thematic and modality of work, schedule, expected products. Finally, the signing of declarations of conflicts of interest takes place at the meeting.

It is expected that the Commission will work through voluntary advisory subcommittees on different topics: food reformulation, nutritional profiles and front labeling, marketing and advertising of foods, promotion and healthy school environments.

Childhood obesity is a problem with serious health and economic consequences that is increasingly affecting low- and middle-income countries and the most vulnerable sectors of the population. At present, there are about 41 million children under 5 years of age who are overweight or obese, of whom more than 80% live in developing countries. We celebrate these kinds of initiatives that represent an opportunity for the debate and the coordination of efforts of multiple actors of society. We also emphasize the importance of including and ensuring the effective participation of organizations from different provinces that account for the specific and specific reality of each one, and allow progress towards the construction of a federal policy on healthy eating.

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, <agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org>

The Court of Colombia removed a censorship on a pro-health campaign

The decision null and void the prohibition on “Take it seriously”, an operation aimed to make people aware of the impacts of the sugar-sweetened drinks. It sets a precedent on the defense of the information, health and food rights.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

Bogotá.- “Don’t hurt yourself”, announces the commercial of “Educar Consumidores” that exposes the consequences of the excess of sugar on the human being. However, after a complaint from Postobon –one of the biggest companies in Latin America- the Industry and Trade Superintendence (SIC) ordered the immediate suspension of the whole campaign, for “misleading advertising”.

Last April 5th, the Constitutional Court of Colombia left with no effect the resolution and for the first time were recognized the rights to access to food and health-related information.

Educar Consumidores is a non-profit civil society organization that in September of last year launched the campaign ¨Cuida tu vida – Tómala en Serio¨. It is intended to show the health consequences of drinking. After the complaint, SIC prohibited the dissemination of commercials claiming to be “misleading advertising” because they did not have scientific or medical support, although the issuing organization forwarded the documents that supported their claims.

The ban constituted a violation of freedom of expression, the right to health and the right to information.In response to this situation, one of the judicial authorities, one of the agency issuing the campaign, focused on its right to freedom of expression, and another from Dejusticia along with a coalition of NGOs, focused on the right of access to information.

The second action was rejected in first and second instance until arriving at the Constitutional Court of Colombia, which ruled in favor of. The Court argued that the SIC should have allowed consumers to participate in a decision affecting them, and that it had not violated their right to the process.In addition, he referred to the right of users to make decisions based on informed consent, and the importance of accessing the information for it to be configured. Likewise, the Inter-American System and the United Nations Protection System, Colombia has an obligation to respect the rights enshrined, and in this case, the SIC failed to comply with this obligation.

From FUNDEPS we accompany actions such as Educate Consumers who seek to empower people to make informed decisions. We also welcome the provision made by the Colombian justice system. Chronic noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. It is the duty of the State to respect, guarantee and protect the rights of its citizens, especially when it comes to fundamental issues such as the protection of health.

More Information

Commercial Consumer Education

Authors

Maga Ailén Merlo Vijarra, Federico Piccioni y Agustina Mozzoni.

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni – agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

Maga Ailén Merlo Vijarra – magamerlov@fundeps.org