The US sugar industry, backed by other purveyors of junk food, is threatening to use its muscle to force the US Congress to eliminate all $406 million of US funding to the World Health Organization.

Why? Because WHO is about to release guidelines on healthy eating that say added sugars -- beyond what's normally in plants and animals you eat -- should account for no more than 10% of a healthy diet. That rules out Coca-Cola for breakfast, a six-pack of Pepsi at night, and a pack of Oreos every week. The sugar lobby insists that up to 25% of your diet can be added sugar, even though the report the lobby is citing doesn't say that, and the authors are complaining at how their words are being misinterpreted.

If defunding health work for the entire world to preserve US corporate profits doesn't define "government by corporations," I don't know what would.