It will never be to insist that health promotion is a right, while including disease prevention, access to healthy eating, cost and availability;The timely access to health services, in having urban infrastructure to promote exercise, public safety to use it, greater regulation in the sale of food, in the advertising of the same, to mention only some things that I intend to link to theTheme of this reflection: the Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Health, declared the national health emergency for the gravity that has reached the prevalence of diabetes mellitus II in the population.
As was published last November, that in my opinion it did not remain in the media enough, the ravages that this chronic disease generates, affects not only individual, but also the family group, in well -being and in economic terms;It affects the health system and the national economy.
Before the emergency declaration we expected equally and urgent measures, which unfortunately do not yet appreciate: the Undersecretary of Prevention and Promotion of Health in the country, emphasized that the actions of the National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of the Overweight, Obesity and diabetes, would be strengthened, such as the labeling in the products that would be modified to meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
One of the biggest problems with not complying with this provision is that in Mexico the consumption of sugar is still privileged (recommendation for daily consumption: 50 grams and not 90 grams as indicated in the labels), which promotes overweight andObesity, as well as diabetes.It should be asked about the interest game with the food industry that calls for population health.
The disease at the beginning has no symptoms, so timely detection becomes indispensable.And just as it has been announced, facing this emergency demands a necessary intervention of the State and civil society.It is reported, for example, that half of the IMSS budget is directed to the attention of chronic diseases (in addition to diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases).
The health system is complex, of diverse qualities, and this is another challenge for the combat of diabetes (as well as many other diseases);It is a fragmented system with an unequal distribution of resources that cannot ensure equal quality services for all beneficiaries.Other dimensions of the problem that maintain the seriousness of diabetes is the lack of a health promotion through the promotion of healthy habits such as physical exercise, at all socio -economic levels and ages, which should be national priority in this emergency and allocateResources to create safe spaces.
Regulation in media advertising (especially that aimed at children) and nutritional information in consumption, are other dimensions.For example, the right to health information through the labeling of products, as we said, which does not meet the recommended by PAHO.The Civil Association The Power of the Consumer ( Link has insistently indicated on the urgent weaknesses and measures to combat the "epidemic" of diabetes, as the need for strict labeling of food products.We must insist, the panorama is gray due to the complexity of the factors involved in the control of this “epidemic”, let's start with simple, but constant measures, more fruits and vegetables in the food and 20 minutes a day of moderate exercise.
*Professor-investigator of the Center for Health and Society Studies, the Sonora College (ccastro@colson.edu.mx)