Who is Martí Batres?
Martí Batres Guadarrama is the General Director of the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE), a Mexican government agency responsible for providing social security and healthcare services to federal public sector employees.
Relevance and Impact
As a key figure in Mexico’s public health sector, Batres’ recommendations carry significant weight. With rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic-degenerative diseases linked to processed food consumption, his Decalogue for Healthy Eating and Lifestyle aims to reverse these trends among ISSSTE’s beneficiaries, which include over 15 million people.
The Decalogue for Healthy Eating and Lifestyle
1. Awareness of Traditional Food Displacement
Batres highlighted the need to recognize how transnational food industries have replaced traditional Mexican diets with ultra-processed foods, contributing to the rise in chronic diseases.
2. Eliminate Refined Sugars and Flours
He emphasized the importance of excluding refined sugars and flours from one’s diet, a crucial step in reducing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
3. Review Nutritional Information
Batres stressed the necessity of scrutinizing food packaging for hidden sugars, as they may be listed under various names rather than explicitly.
4. Consume Whole Fruits and Vegetables
He underscored the importance of eating whole fruits and vegetables, including fiber, as opposed to just fruit juices.
5. Abundant Vegetable Intake
Batres prioritized vegetable consumption, recommending that they be the first items consumed during meals and even breakfast.
6. Include Protein Sources
He advised incorporating protein-rich foods like lean meats, poultry, or fish, particularly those high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon.
7. Purchase from Local Sources
Batres encouraged buying food from public markets, tianguis, Central de Abasto, SuperISSSTE stores, or directly from farmers to support local economies and ensure fresher produce.
8. Bring Healthy Food to Work
He suggested bringing nutritious meals to work to avoid purchasing unhealthy, processed food options.
9. Post-Meal Walking
Batres clarified that light physical activity, such as walking after meals, is beneficial and dispelled the myth that exercising immediately after eating is harmful.
10. Strengthen Primary Healthcare
Lastly, he emphasized the importance of reinforcing primary healthcare services to enable regular check-ups and disease prevention for ISSSTE beneficiaries.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who presented the Decalogue for Healthy Eating and Lifestyle? Martí Batres Guadarrama, the General Director of ISSSTE.
- What is the purpose of the Decalogue? To decrease obesity, diabetes, and other chronic-degenerative diseases caused by high consumption of processed foods.
- What specific recommendations does the Decalogue offer? It includes suggestions like avoiding refined sugars and flours, consuming whole fruits and vegetables, incorporating lean proteins, purchasing from local sources, bringing healthy meals to work, walking after meals, and strengthening primary healthcare services.
- Who are the main beneficiaries of this Decalogue? Over 15 million ISSSTE beneficiaries, including federal public sector employees and their families.
