Sugar Rush: Mexico’s Addiction to Fizzy Drinks Fueled Health Crisis

COKE ADDS LIFE? –

Nov. 4, 2022 – “Femsa, which bottles Coca-Cola in Mexico, has enormous power,” says Alejandro Calvillo, director of Consumer Power, a campaigning association. “It operates more than 20,000 Oxxo convenience stores across the country, as well as gas stations and many other businesses.

“The regulation is very difficult to implement,” Calvillo says of the Oaxaca policy, adopted by nearby Tabasco. “It was primarily about sending a message.” Gradually, however, it all found a way back in and the stores have returned to their normal stock. “The children are our future but we are going to have serious problems if we continue down this path,” says Vidal Aquino, the former councillor who introduced the crisp ban. “Obesity, diabetes and cancer are spreading from the cities in Mexico to all corners of the country.”

But the unique experiment had an impact. A public health campaign urging locals to avoid processed food has begun to bear fruit, as the rudimentary health system comes under strain from largely preventable type 2 diabetes. One in six Mexicans live with diabetes – up 10% between 2019 and 2021, according to the International Diabetes Foundation.