Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Combating the virus: ‘We don’t need bottled poison:’ health minister

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on Mexico due to the high prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases, Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell said Saturday.

Speaking at an event in Berriozábal, Chiapas, López-Gatell said that if people had diets free of junk food and sugary drinks – which he described as “bottled poison” – the impact of any virus on the population of Mexico would be less.

He has said repeatedly that the high prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity is a major factor in the high number of Covid-19 deaths in Mexico.

López-Gatell, the government’s coronavirus point man, said Saturday that diet-related health problems date back 40 years in Mexico and lamented that many people have abandoned healthier, more natural foods for highly-processed ones.

“What are we eating? How much salt are we putting on our food? Enough salt already! [Packaged] food already has salt,” he said.

“How much sugar are we putting into drinks? Fruit already has sugar. And, of course, why do we need bottled poison?” López-Gatell asked, referring to sugary soda and juice. “Why do we need to eat donuts, cakes and chips?”

The deputy minister told his audience that if there are overweight and obese people within their communities, it is because they are consuming too much of the wrong foods and drinks.

“There is no reason for you to have overweight people [in your communities]. If you have them, it’s because they’re eating too much [junk food], … it’s because they’re drinking soda or juice. … Those that are bottled are not juice, it’s paint with sugar,” López-Gatell said.

“Health in Mexico would be very different if we hadn’t allowed ourselves to be fooled by the lifestyles that are shown on television, heard on the radio and which we see in advertisements,” he said.

The health official’s remarks came a month after President López Obrador delivered a sermon-like video address in which he urged people to follow a healthy diet full of fresh and nutritional food.

Corn, beans, seasonal fruit, fish and hormone-free meat should be on Mexicans’ dining tables, he said, adding that drinking a lot of water and exercise are also crucial for good health.

Source: Reforma (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Justice statue

I used to practice ‘amparo’ law. Here’s why the proposed reform is worrying

0
In Mexican law, an amparo trial defends citizens who have had their rights infringed upon by the government. President Sheinbaum recently introduced a reform that would greatly reduce its scope.
forensic van parked outside a homicide

Does your town make the list of Mexico’s most violent municipalities?

1
According to homicide data for the 12 months between September 2024 and August 2025, five popular tourism destinations are among Mexico's 50 most violent municipalities.
Sumilab, operated by the Favela López family, was first sanctioned by OFAC in 2023.

US sanctions Culiacán family accused of supplying fentanyl precursors to Sinaloa Cartel

0
The Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned eight individuals, including seven members or associates of the Favela López family, which operates a network of chemical, laboratory equipment and agriculture-related companies.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity