title: A process to establish nutritional guidelines to address obesity: Lessons from Mexico.
abstract: In 2010, the Mexican government implemented a multi-sector agreement to prevent obesity. In response, the Ministries of Health and Education launched a national school-based policy to increase physical activity, improve nutrition literacy, and regulate school food offerings through nutritional guidelines. We studied the Guidelines' negotiation and regulatory review process, including government collaboration and industry response. Within the government, conflicting positions were evident: the Ministries of Health and Education supported the Guidelines as an effective obesity-prevention strategy, while the Ministries of Economics and Agriculture viewed them as potentially damaging to the economy and job generation. The food and beverage industries opposed and delayed the process, arguing that regulation was costly, with negative impacts on jobs and revenues. The proposed Guidelines suffered revisions that lowered standards initially put forward. We documented the need to improve cross-agency cooperation to achieve effective policymaking. The 'siloed' government working style presented a barrier to efforts to resist industry's influence and strong lobbying. Our results are relevant to public health policymakers working in childhood obesity prevention.
authors.affiliation: Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), Río Hondo No. 1, Col. Progreso Tizapán, México, D.F. 01080, México. E-mails: sofiach.itam@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charvel
authors.affiliation: Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), Río Hondo No. 1, Col. Progreso Tizapán, México, D.F. 01080, México. E-mails: sofiach.itam@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cobo
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Cuernavaca, Mexico.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ávila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D019649:Food Industry; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008800:Mexico; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D011050:Policy Making; D012572:School Health Services