Mexico bans junk foods in schools

Mexico bans junk foods in schools Government orders end to fried foods and sweets on school grounds in fight against childhood obesity


Tweet this Jo Tuckman in Mexico City guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 May 2010 20.02 BST larger
smaller Article history


Even tacos will be off the menu in Mexican schools. Photograph: Getty Images


The Mexican government is to ban junk food and fry-ups in primary and secondary schools in an effort to combat one of the worst obesity problems in the world.


From the beginning of the next school year, school shops will no longer be allowed to stock fizzy drinks, sugar-stuffed fruit juices, processed snacks, or more local delights such as chilli soaked sweets. Nor will school kitchens offer traditional standards such as fried tacos.


"The kids are going to complain, of course," the education minister Alonso Lujambio told W Radio today. "We are going to start a profound cultural change."

The ban does not affect junk food vendors who congregate at school gates at home time, although Lujambio promised future efforts to encourage them to sell healthier products.


President Felipe Calderon launched an anti-obesity campaign in January. Public officials refer to Mexican children as the fattest in the world. While the comparative figures are questionable, one study concluded that 26% between the ages of five and 11 were overweight. The proportion of overweight adults is approaching that in the US.


The health minister Jose Angel Cordoba said consumption of fruits and vegetables in the last 15 years had fallen by 40% while consumption of sweetened drinks rose by 50% .


Dependence on junk foods is compounded by falling rates of exercise caused, in part, by chaotic urbanisation that eats up open spaces.Many Mexicans also have a genetic propensity to store fat, as well as to develop diabetes.


The stampede towards unhealthy eating is also visible in rural areas where a recent study in isolated indigenous villages found many cases of mothers who immediately bought their children junk food treats after picking up government anti-poverty hand outs.




The school ban comes after years of resistance from corporations such as Coca Cola and Pepsi. Lujambio praised their new "co-operative spirit" with reference to their diversification into healthier products, including bottled water which is hugely profitable in a country where few trust tap water. "Our hope is that children start demanding other kinds of products," he said.


Printable versionSend to a friendShareClipContact us larger
smaller EmailClose Recipient's email address Your first name Your surname Add a note (optional)


Your IP address will be logged


ShareClose Diggreddit Google Bookmarks Twitter del.icio.us StumbleUpon Newsvine livejournal Facebook Mixx it! Contact usClose Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard:


+44 (0)20 3353 2000 Advertising guide License/buy our content World newsMexico Life and styleObesity More news


Printable versionSend to a friendShareClipContact usArticle history


EmailClose Recipient's email address Your first name Your surname Add a note (optional)


Your IP address will be logged


ShareClose Diggreddit Google Bookmarks Twitter del.icio.us StumbleUpon Newsvine livejournal Facebook Mixx it!


Contact usClose Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard:


+44 (0)20 3353 2000 Advertising guide License/buy our content


About this articleClose Mexico bans junk foods in schoolsThis article was published on guardian.co.uk at 20.02 BST on Thursday 27 May 2010. A version appeared on p28 of the Main section section of the Guardian on Friday 28 May 2010. Health: best treatments Read information about the best treatments for obesity


Obesity Obesity What are the symptoms of obesity? What will happen to me? Questions to ask your doctor How do doctors diagnose obesity? What treatments work for obesity? How common is obesity? What is obesity? Search all conditions and treatments:


Search: This information is brought to you by the British Medical Journal in partnership with Guardian.co.uk


About our partnershipBestsellers from the Guardian shop Miners' Campaign Tapes / Portrait of a Miner on DVD1984 record of picket lines and marches with the testimonies of strikers, their wives and supporters. Plus celebration of National Coal Board Film Unit documentaries made from 1947-84.


From: £6.99


Visit the Guardian reader offers shopGreen & ethical shopping at Guardian ecostoreLatest news on guardian.co.ukLast updated less than one minute ago


NewsIsrael accused of state terrorism after attack


Free P&P at the Guardian bookshop Connected£12.99 with free UK delivery Slap£12.99 with free UK deliveryBrowse the bestseller lists Sponsored featuresWin an LG LED TV ... and home cinema system


Learn to spread bet like a proClick here


Browse all jobs


Pest Control TechnicianOrder Selector - Hatfield, MA - 1294Team Ldr-Customer Service Jobjobs by


Ads by GoogleBlood Pressure DiscoveryHugh Downs Reports: Artery clearing secret from Nobel Prize Winner


http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/


Free Mexico Fact SheetFor people considering Retiring, Real Estate, or Living in Mexico


www.InternationalLiving.com/Mexico


Resurrection of JesusDid Jesus Rise From the Dead? Discover the Facts From Scholars


www.y-Jesus.com/Resurrection






Related informationWorld newsMexico Life and styleObesity


Swine flu outbreak


26 Apr 2009:


Cases reach US and New Zealand as World Health Organisation says swine flu virus has 'pandemic potential'



20 Nov 2008:
Winter in Veracruz is the time when 4.5 million birds of prey begin their annual migration, the largest in the world, watched by enthusiasts and conservationists


License/buy our content
Privacy policy
Terms & conditions
Advertising guide
Accessibility
A-Z index
Inside guardian.co.uk blog
About guardian.co.uk
Join our dating site today


guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010