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Weekly Report - 08 October 2020 (WR-20-40)
MEXICO: Politicising food consumption and obesity
The government led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has launched an assault on obesity in Mexico. It has a strong case. Mexico has the second most obese population in the world after the US, and some 65% of Mexicans are overweight. There has been a fierce backlash against the food labelling which came into force this month, especially from small shopkeepers and the sugar industry, which claims it has been unfairly targeted. They argue that the government’s actions will jeopardise jobs and impact economic growth. López Obrador’s commitment to tackle excess consumption of junk food predates the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, but the timing of the move is still eye-catching. By blaming previous “neo-liberal governments” for the high fatality rate from Covid-19 because of their lack of action to combat obesity, a key comorbidity, the López Obrador administration is seeking to shift the focus away from its own mismanagement of the pandemic.
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