The document analyzes Mexico's official resolution to implement a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. It finds that the resolution correctly identifies high sugar consumption from beverages as a key contributor to obesity, diabetes, and other diseases in Mexico. However, it argues that a tax alone may not be effective in reducing consumption and changing behaviors. Instead, the focus should be on educating people about healthy eating and alternative product options. While the resolution's viewpoint is based on research showing Mexico's health problems stem from sugar overconsumption, a multifaceted approach combining taxation, education and promoting alternatives may have better long-term benefits than only increasing taxes.

1. Gustavo Alejandro Martínez Calderón February 19, 2019
A01191850
Individual Practice with Peer Evaluation
Project: Analysis of the official resolution to implement the IEPS tax, to sugar beverages.
1. What are the arguments of the article in the Official diary (DOF)?
The arguments of the article in the Official diary (DOF) consist on the fact that there exists a
high consumption of sugar which is added to the beverages and generates an elevated
energetic intake for the Mexican population, leading to overweight, obesity, hypertension, and
diabetes, among other diseases. Therefore, the article states as a solution that there should be
a call for action in order to define and establish public policies, such as tax rates, to reduce the
entry of these sugar added beverages and thus, a percentage of mortality within the nation.
2. What are the consistencies or inconsistencies that you found in the document?
The main inconsistency that I found out in the document is that a tax increase on these elevated
sugar beverages do not guarantee that the Mexican population will discontinue to consume
them. As a matter of fact, Mexico has high rates of obesity and sugar consumption, at least 70%
of the population is overweight or obese, where more than 70% of the added sugar in the diet
comes from sugar-sweetened drinks.
3. What are the bias or errors that you found in the arguments (bad arguments, fallacies,
omissions, false inferences and deceptive statistics)?
The main bias or errors that I found out in the arguments from the article include the fact that
they focus on imposing a tax on drinks with a high level of sugar in order to prevent diseases
such as hypertension and diabetes, where in many cases these diseases are generated by other
reasons such as genetics. Personally I consider that more than an economic issue, this is a
problem of education. I feel that this initiative should be more centralized in the promotion and
the importance of eating healthy foods, where people should comprehend the risks that they
assume when consuming this type of beverages and therefore, have knowledge of alternative
products that are available in the market and the benefits that they can generate to them and
more especially, to their families.
4. Can conclusions be derived from the arguments?
As a conclusion, I believe that this article was created behind a good intention, where it is true
that Mexico suffers from a high percentage of obesity and one of the main reasons is the energy
content implemented in the products that they consume, although at the same time, I consider
that this is an issue that should be more focused towards the lack of education about food,
where a tax imposition on sugary beverages can reduce the consumption of them at the
beginning, but there may be complementary solutions that can be more effective and
consequently benefit a greater number of citizens in the country for a longer period of time.
5. Does the point of view of the document is derived from research?
The point of view of the document is definitely derived from research, where it includes facts
and data that are undoubtedly part of a more developed investigation; I suppose that the
information is presented in an orderly, simple and friendly way in order for the reader to have a
better comprehension of the article’s main idea.

2. 6. In which way are you ordering your own arguments to avoid being disperse?
Personally, regardless of the case, I always have a clear basis when ordering my arguments.
First, I like to start with an introduction that goes from more to less, where I start talking in general
about something related to the main subject and end up by stating in a clear sentence the topic
and the arguments on which the paper will be about. Consequently I compose the body of the
writing, where in order to support the main arguments of the script hard data is integrated,
including figures, quotes, polls and statistics coming from reliable research and investigations.
Finally I end up with the conclusion, at this point I like to emphasize the main idea, taking it to a
more wide-ranging picture that can demonstrate the diverse solutions, effects, or alternatives
that it can generate and the changes that it can make in the world where we live.
References:
Boseley, S. (2017, February 22). Mexico's sugar tax leads to fall in consumption for second year
running. Retrieved February 19, 2019, from
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/22/mexico-sugar-tax-lower-consumption-
second-year-running
Decreto Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) 9 de diciembre de 2013.