Mexico City, Mexico – Public Education Secretary Jose Angel Cordova believes that it will take Mexico a decade to get obesity under control and called for "junk foods" to be removed entirely from schools.

Cordova said that implementing guidelines restricting the sale of high calorie and fried food in schools would be a difficult task as currently only fifteen countries currently have such standards in place.

He went on to say that removing junk foods from school lunchrooms would not happen in the short term, because although some studies have shown that junk food is even more harmful than some pharmaceutical drugs, the data must first be verified.

"It is going to take a lot of time," he said, "it is not something you can do overnight, and the scientific evidence has to be conclusive. Drugs are prohibited for this reason, because they are proven to be harmful."

Although some products are disparaged as junk food, they will have to be carefully analyzed before they are removed from schools so that they do not hurt important industries in the country’s development," the education secretary stated.

Cordova also said that the processed food industry has reduced the fat, sugar, and salt content in their products, and are manufacturing smaller size portions for sale in schools.

On another note, when Angel Cordova was asked his feelings about the National Education Workers Union's 6th Extraordinary Congress, Cordova said that he respects trade union autonomy, and is in favor of transparency.

He added that the labor reform being discussed in the Senate, if approved, will create important benefits like allowing greater inclusion of young people in the labor market, as well as regulating the hourly wage, "which will in no way be less than the minimum wage."