Undersecretary of Health Hugo López Gatell warned about the " petty interests " of privileged economic groups and global and national corporations that will try to "sabotage" the legislative reform being prepared in the Senate to eliminate trans fatty acids (TFAs) from industrial food production.
"We must not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by these perverse actions," she warned during a digital forum organized by Morena Senator Margarita Valdez, who announced that next week they will present the initiative on the matter that she has prepared jointly with social organizations , since it is urgent to regulate this issue that causes serious public health problems.
In his speech, López-Gatell emphasized the need to address this pending legislative issue, as efforts have been underway to regulate it since 2005. TGAs cause diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which account for a significant proportion of mortality in Mexico.
"Myocardial infarctions alone are the leading cause of death, with more than 100,000 deaths annually, at least in the last 15 years," he said.
It must be kept in mind, he emphasized, that people's nutrition is not just an individual decision, and there is "a huge epidemic of obesity and overweight" that affects three-quarters of the population and more than 35 percent of children. "We rank first in childhood and youth obesity in the world," he recalled.
Economic interests
The undersecretary stated that the strong economic interests of the national and transnational food industry have attempted to undermine legislative and federal government efforts to protect the health of Mexicans in order to continue profiting from the sale of unhealthy products.
It must be taken into account, he explained, that as soon as the initiative is presented, lobbyists and voices seeking to influence the government will arrive in Congress.
