Perspective: Mexico’s Experience in Building a Toolkit for Obesity and Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with higher risk of death in low- and middle-income countries. Diet and excess weight are risk factors for NCDs. In Mexico, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased dramatically in the last 30 years and is among the highest in the world. To address this public health problem, governments and public health professionals have several policy instruments available. In this study, we present the policy instruments currently approved in Mexico, which include fiscal, informational, and authoritative tools that aim to improve the food environment and promote healthy behaviours (taxes, school food guidelines, front of pack labelling, marketing regulations and dietary guidelines). These types of interventions are important in regions like Latin America, where social inequities and poor access to information are common, and individual healthy choices often limited. These interventions target the environments in which individuals live, study, work, and seek entertainment, while limiting access to unhealthy choices and offering information to promote healthy alternatives. The Mexican experience in design, implementation, and evaluation of policies to improve the food environment can be useful for other low and middle income countries facing similar challenges. There are a number of cost-effective policy tools that help improve the food environment and prevent non communicable diseases. In countries with vast inequalities and with food systems incentivized to produce unhealthy options, a mix of policy tools is needed to effectively modify food environments, promote healthier food choices, and prevent and control the increasing trends in obesity and non-communicable diseases. In addition, more complex, global initiatives are required to achieve the transformation of the food system.

Topics & Concepts