[stickfigure]

You can't blame this on Americans. Walk into any tiendita in rural Mexico and you will find isles of candy and sugary beverages, much of which Americans wouldn't recognize. Mexico loves sweets.

I'm glad they're recognizing that dietary health is a serious issue and trying to make changes. But I wonder what effect this will have on paleterias? They're one of the many things I miss from Mexico.

[benatkin]

We certainly can. There's a huge amount of influence america has on global eating habits. Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, and McDonald's are some of the major corporate villains, in case you forgot, and they deserve their reputations.

[stickfigure]

Mexico has Jarritos, Sabritos, Barcel, and lots of other local brands that are much more prevalent than their American counterparts. If Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, and McDonalds all vanished suddenly, it would not significantly change the diet of most Mexicanos. You might be able to formulate a coherent hippie rant about "corporate food" but it isn't a specifically American phenomenon.

[munk-a]

It's unclear whether all of those soft-drinks would be as successful as they are if Coca-Cola didn't open up that market though.

[stickfigure]

"Open up the market"?? Maybe you're thinking of Cortez?

You obviously aren't that familiar with the subject since Jarritos is the only soft drink in that list (the others are snack brands). I feel there's an undercurrent of paternalistic racism in this thread - "those noble naive Mexicans would be so healthy if they only hadn't been enslaved to imperialist American fast food corporations!"

Mexico is a whole country full of educated, modern, free-thinking individuals with their own strong, vibrant culture. They're incredibly proud of it. They have their own tastes and their own products serving those tastes and yes, they struggle with dietary health just like everyone else in the world. Walk up to a native Mexican sometime and tell them that they only like pan dulce because Americans have brainwashed them, see how well that goes over.

[rrrrrrrrrrrryan]

I'm not totally sure - if you go out to rural, poorer Mexico, away from the corporate chains and packaged snackfoods, the traditional Mexican diet isn't especially healthy. Lots of lard, simple carbs, etc.

[rcMgD2BwE72F]

Since when? And what happened?

[stjohnswarts]

Then stop eating it. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? If I can say no to sweets anyone can.