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The bigger you’re the better you’re – well not in this case. The planet’s twenty five biggest food companies are failing to take the global crisis in diet seriously and often only change their practices when faced with adverse publicity that would harm their sales, a new study claims.

From Wal-Mart to McDonald’s to Coca-Cola to Cadbury, the globe leaders of the food industry are accused of a “pathetic” performance on meeting targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2004 to require basic action to boost diet that can in turn tackle obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The study judged every company on responsible selling, in particular to children; reductions in fat, sugar and salt; portion size; and developing healthier new products. Simply four of twenty five said they were taking action to cut back the whole fat content of their products. Only five said they were cutting sugar and ten said they were reducing salt.

The comprehensive review of the policies and practices of the businesses, together with four British conglomerates, found that their international reach meant they were largely unaccountable for a way they addressed the epidemic of diet-connected disease. Researchers at Town University in London said the only issue which seemed to produce action on issues such as salt and fat content was public discontent.

If the most effective manner to induce companies to take health seriously is to have critics provide them a awaken call, do these companies care? Several don’t even have the right policies in place to accommodate the crisis.

This lack of commitment to health paints a poor overall picture. Diseases such as cancer, heart disease and obesity currently account for sixty per cent of world deaths- that figure is predicted to rise to seventy three per cent by 2020. Does this epidemic need to rise to this level before these corporations accept some reasonably accountability?

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