As Mexicans consume more calories, there is a debate whether free trade and foreign investment resulted in an epidemic of obesity or whether it reduced malnutrition by lowering food prices, says the New York Times. Fast food restaurants and convenience stores multiplied across Mexico as its economy grew in recent decades.
Obesity rates tripled to 20 percent since 1980 and diabetes tops the list of disease-related deaths. The Harvard School of Public Health says that research shows free trade is among the factors that brought in highly processed foods, “driving the obesity epidemic in China, India and other developing countries worldwide.” One of Mexico’s negotiators of NAFTA says the pact reduced hunger among children and stabilized the economy, allowing Mexicans to live longer and die of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
“The broader pros and cons of NAFTA have come under increasing scrutiny given President Trump’s threats to dismantle it. Among its chief champions are American farm and food-retailing interests whose fortunes have benefited tremendously from the open market,” said the Times. Mexico runs a large surplus with the United States in food and agricultural trade.
“Critics of NAFTA acknowledge the complex causes of obesity, but argue free trade intensified the problem by opening Mexico’s largely isolated economy,” the paper said.