Hugo Lopez-Gatell is Mexico’s leading epidemiologist, covid strategist and spokesman, Mexico’s Dr Fauci if you like. Mexico is in bad shape; the cases are approaching a million. In November, it will become the fourth country to cross 100,000 coronavirus deaths.
Dr Lopez-Gatell identified one of the main culprits
killing the Mexicans in Covid-19. Coca-Cola.
*****
He calls fizzy drinks “bottled poison”. Even before
the pandemic, annually 40000 Mexicans died from too much Coca-Cola. Coke’s marketing
machinery has fooled us to equate the drink with happiness, laments Dr Lopez-Gatell.
Between the USA and Mexico, Mexico won the race to the
world’s most obese nation. 75% Mexicans are overweight today, as against
20% in 1996. Mexicans drink 50% more Coke per person than anywhere else in the
world. The French drink wine, Mexicans drink Coke.
Every man, woman and child in the southernmost state
of Chiapas drinks 2.2 liters of Coca-Cola every day. (821 liters per annum/
compare: USA 100 liters/ global average 25 liters). A study noted 3% babies in
Chiapas are given Coca-Cola by their mothers instead of breastfeeding.
Four-month olds are seen sucking coke from baby bottles. In San Juan Chamula, a
hilly town, Coke is poured over church candles to keep the evil spirits away.
Another survey found that 70% of Mexican children consumed
soda for breakfast, and drank sodas at least thrice a day.
*****
This national addiction can be traced back to 1994 with
the signing of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) between the USA,
Mexico and Canada.
Nafta empowered the USA to flood the Mexican market
with sugary drinks and processed foods. A research paper that called the
process “McDonaldization” and “Coca-colonization” found that exports to Mexico
of high-fructose corn syrup- a high calorie sweetener used in sodas and linked
to obesity- went up 863 times.
Free trade has been America’s instrument to accelerate
the spread of low-nutrient, highly processed foods and sugary drinks, to drive
the obesity epidemic in poor countries of the world.
Curiously, Mexican cuisine is listed by UNESCO as a
cultural heritage of humanity.
*****
Since NAFTA, Mexicans have poor diets. Coca-Cola Mexico
employs a million people and accounts for 1.4% of Mexico’s GDP. Coca-Cola is
the best distributed brand; it reaches villages where medicines can’t.
Drinking water is a problem. Many places get it once
every two or three days. Tap water is so heavily chlorinated, people are scared
to drink it. Coca-Cola is cheaper than water and readily available. In 2014, Mexico
introduced a soda tax. The soda makers offered enough discount to nullify the tax.
*****
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) like Coca-Cola cause
obesity, diabetes and hypertension – conditions attractive to the coronavirus.
In August, the southern state of Oaxaca banned the sale
of junk food and sugary drinks to children under the age of 18. Dr Lopez-Gatell
has actively promoted the law on bottled poisons, and hopes to make it
national.
In October, the Mexican government introduced
oversized warning labels on products containing high amounts of sugar, salt,
calories and fats. Coke, Pepsi and Nestle had requested the government to delay
the labels until the end of the pandemic.
*****
The pandemic may persuade the Mexicans to start
drinking Aguas Frescas and eating burritos and chimichangas.
Mexico may benefit by building a wall to stop toxic sodas and junk food coming
from the other side.
Ravi
हतबुद्ध झाले
ReplyDeleteThe only time I have drunk sweet fizzy drinks was during spent in South America as it was deemed much safer than the water.
ReplyDeleteOMG, this is horrible.soft drinks are equal to pesticides. Hope Indians will understand pizza and other cheese items are not meant for us. Soft drinks and fast food are treated as status symbol.
ReplyDelete