Thaindian News

Mexico City, April 15 (IANS/EFE) In a bid to prevent children from being obese, Mexico has banned junk food in schools and made physical training mandatory for students.
The lower house Tuesday approved two laws seeking a ban on the sale of junk food in schools and making physical education mandatory in the country, where 30 percent of children are obese.

A majority of lawmakers, who voted in favour of the legislations, acknowledged that childhood obesity tripled in Mexico in the past 20 years and said federal and state officials must take action to deal with the situation.

As per the new law, schools will be required to provide 30 minutes of physical training every day to help students lose weight.

Some 70 percent of adults in Mexico, according to official figures, are overweight, while 70 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 11, or some 4.5 million minors, are overweight.

According to the 2006 National Health Survey, about 40 percent of Mexicans are obese. The percentage of Mexico’s population classified as overweight or obese has tripled since 1980.

“Childhood obesity has become a social problem and a serious health problem,” lawmakers said.

Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said last week that the government planned to focus on reducing the number of people, especially minors, who are overweight or obese over the next two years.

“The Mexican government’s goal is to reduce the overweight rate among children ages 2 to 5 by 2012 and to slow the growth (of cases) among those 5 to 19, as well as to decelerate the increase in cases in adults,” Cordova said while presenting a new report on obesity April 6.

President Felipe Calderon said Jan 25 that Mexico has the largest number of overweight adults, overtaking the US, and also had the largest number of obese children.

–IANS/EFE

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