Junk food companies caught suing the laws meant to stop them

The World Health Organization says something troubling is happening behind the scenes of the global obesity fight.

The World Health Organization says something troubling is happening behind the scenes of the global obesity fight. Many of the same companies profiting from junk food sales are also dragging governments to court. Their goal is to block laws designed to curb the crisis.

A joint investigation by The Guardian and Lighthouse Reports dug into this pattern. Academics and media groups across four continents took part. Together, they uncovered 235 lawsuits filed against governments over ultra-processed food policies. The cases span 2010 to 2025. Countries hit hardest include Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the US, and the UK.

Labelling rules were the most challenged policies. Junk food taxes came next, followed by marketing restrictions.

Food companies did not fare well in court. They lost about 75 percent of decided cases. But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the scoreboard misses the real damage. It is the time these lawsuits consume that hurts most. Combined, the litigation added up to nearly 600 years. Each case dragged on for two and a half years on average.

The costs go beyond legal bills. Governments spend billions on healthcare and courtroom battles alike. Tedros calls the resulting hesitation a “regulatory chill.” Long, expensive lawsuits make officials think twice before trying similar reforms.

Researchers managed to trace plaintiffs in many of these cases. Of those identified, 38 percent came from just eight companies. The list includes Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Kellogg’s, Danone, Ferrero, Xignux, and Heartland Food Products Group. Some of these firms went a step further. They asked courts to keep their names hidden entirely.

That secrecy tactic is not new. Researchers say it echoes moves once made by tobacco and alcohol companies. Both industries faced similar scrutiny in the past and used the same playbook.

Tedros gave credit where it is due. He noted some companies have reformulated their products in good faith. Still, he insists that’s not enough while lawsuits keep piling up.

There is also a wealth gap at play. Most legal battles are happening in richer nations. Poorer countries face the same obesity burden. But they have far fewer resources to defend new health policies if challenged in court.

The scale of the crisis makes all this urgent. Nearly a billion people worldwide are currently living with obesity, per WHO estimates.