Public-Private Partnerships in Mexico: Implications for Public Health Nutrition Governance
The Problem Obesity and associated noncommunicable diseases in Mexico • Obesity was declared a national public health emergency in 2016 and again in 2018.1,2
• More than 250,000 people die each year from causes related to noncommunicable diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.3
• The latest National Health and Nutrition Survey (Spanish acronym ENSANUT) reported that the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults was 75% and the prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes was 10.3%.4
• According to the ENSANUT, 35.5% of children between 5 and 11 years of age and 38.4% of adolescents 12 to 19 years of age are overweight.4
• Regular consumption of sugary drinks has been estimated in more than 80% of the population, regardless of age. Sugary drinks are the primary source of sugar in the diet and 69% of the added sugar consumed by Mexicans derives from sugar-sweetened beverages.5
• 65% of children ages 5 to 11 and 35.4% of adults reported consuming snacks and desserts every day. Evidence has confirmed how the increase in obesity and related diseases is linked to high consumption of sugary drinks and ultraprocessed foods.6
Transnational food and beverage industry involvement in policymaking Recent concerted efforts from the current administration (2018 - 2024) to reduce the high burden of obesity and diabetes in Mexico notwithstanding, the involvement of the food and beverage industry in policymaking and in the public debate on food policy has been the norm for many years, without being perceived as a negative or an issue of concern by policymakers, academics, or civil society groups.7-9 Multiple studies have shown the involvement of the food industry in the policy process, how close food industry actors have been to policymakers, and how involved they have been in pushing solutions to prevailing obesity and diabetes trends in the country that protect their own interests.9-12