How Mexico is fighting obesity
Mexico and the United States have the highest rates of obesity of any major country in the world, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
But Mexico has been taking steps to change that. “In the United States, we think we’re the first to do everything, but that’s not necessarily true,” says Kelly Brownell, dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. “And in the case of policies, to address the obesity problem, there are other countries that have been out of the gate earlier than we have.”
Mexico is one of the first countries to adopt a tax on sugary beverages, a ban on junk food advertisement during kids’ shows and movies, and a push towards healthier food in schools. But Franco Sassi, senior health economist at the OECD, says it is difficult to specify exactly what constitutes a “healthy food.”
When it comes to obesity, there is no single food and policy that can tip the scales by itself, Sassi says.
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