Mexico just made a courageous move to combat childhood obesity. Now, the country has taken things a step further by banning sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods in schools and their surroundings. The Mexican Education Ministry made the announcement on X. Schools are now required to remove foods and drinks with black warning logos for excessive salt, sugar, calories, and fat. This ambitious program is designed to change attitudes about food throughout Mexico. That’s a very necessary step to help mitigate the disturbing obesity and disease contagion that’s overwhelming the country.
As a result, the ban focuses on products that disproportionately affect children’s overall caloric consumption. Sugary drinks and processed foods combined account for 40% of those empty calories. According to UNICEF, Mexican children consume more junk food than any other nation in Latin America, which has prompted the organization to classify the situation as an emergency.
Introduced in 2020, Mexico’s compulsory front-of-package labeling system is at the heart of this new initiative. The system keeps consumers pretty darn well informed about the nutritional content of packaged foods. It achieves this through prominent black warning logos that draw attention to elevated amounts of unhealthy ingredients. Schools are now left holding the bag to replace these banned products with healthier options.
“It is much better to eat a bean taco than a bag of potato chips.” – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum
The nutritional guidelines that accompany the state’s ban have pushed schools to serve healthier alternatives such as bean tacos. They further suggest making plain drinking water available to students. The consumer behavioral shift that the federal government is trying to reprogram into today’s younger generation. They hope to guide these youth into making more nutritious food choices.
The ban is a big victory in the right direction. Enforcement has its own challenges as many schools suffer from weak oversight and inadequate funding. Making sure the law is followed will take the concerted efforts of educators, parents, and policymakers on all sides.
