Catalina Maria Echeverry EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL

A01451251

Critical Thinking: Individual Practice

1. What are the arguments of the DOF article?

The DOF article outlines many arguments regarding the effect of the consumption in
Mexico of beverages with high sugar content. The arguments presented are among the
following: Among the general population of Mexico there is a large consumption of beverage
products with a high content of sugar that is connected to the causation of a rise in obesity and
in cardiovascular diseases. The high intake of these products have posed a significant threat to
the health of the Mexican public.

2. Which consistencies or inconsistencies did you find in the document?

There are observations presented in the article that are consistent with data found by
reliable sources. Examples of the consistent observations in the article are the fact that Mexico
does have a large consumer base of beverages with high sugar content, beverages with a high
sugar content are a cause of obesity and cardiovascular diseases, and because of this these
products pose a significant health risk to the population of Mexico.
As well as consistencies there are also inconsistencies within this argument that are not
resolved. These inconsistencies are that, while beverages with a high sugar content are
unhealthy for the population of Mexico, they are an inelastic product and will therefore be
consumed regardless of a tax on them. Another inconsistency is that the blame on health issues
such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases are being blamed solely on beverages with a high
sugar content, when the reasons for such health risks are much more than that. Culture, access
to healthy options, and education, among other factors, have a huge impact on these health
risks.

3. Which biases or errors did you find in the arguments (bad arguments, fallacies,
omissions, false inferences and deceptive statistics)?
I did find some biases within the articles that would make the author lose some
credibility. For example, when I saw that the author only mentioned beverages with a high
sugar content as the cause for obesity and cardiovascular disease in Mexico, I realized that they
were committing a fallacy that is called “truth by omission”, because they failed to mention the
other causes. Another example is when I saw the author come to the conclusion that taxing
beverages with a high sugar content would not decrease obesity and cardiovascular disease
rates; jumping to this conclusion could be categorized as a “false inference” fallacy.
Catalina Maria Echeverry EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
A01451251

4. Can conclusions be drawn from the arguments?

Yes, there are a few conclusions that can be drawn from this article. One of the
conclusions that can be drawn is that obesity and cardiovascular have a direct link to the
consumption of beverages with a high sugar content, when it comes to the population of
Mexico. Another conclusion that can be made from this article is that these products are a
symptom of a significantly dangerous public health threat, albeit not the only symptom.

5. Is the person’s point of view derived from his or her research?

I personally believe that the author of this article did do a great deal of research when it
came to the effect of beverages with a high content of sugar, however I believe his research
was too focused. I think that, while these beverage products have a large effect on the overall
health of the population, there are many other factors to consider, therefore his research,
while being reliable, was incomplete in my eyes. I think in order to be a more reliable author,
the creator of the article should vary their research among impactful products, cultural trends,
and economic impact of such factors.

6. How are you ordering your own arguments (to avoid being unfocused)?
In order to keep my arguments in order I follow a process specific to my own
understanding. I first try to step into the author’s shoes in order to understand what context
they are writing from, and then I move towards a more data driven context where I see
whether or not the author’s viewpoints match up with national trends. I do this so that I can
keep an objective view when it comes to my response on the article and my arguments.

Conclusion

I believe that, while beverages with a high content of sugar have an impact on the
increasing numbers of people becoming obese or developing cardiovascular diseases, I also
believe that the author, in order to give a more solid argument, must include other factors such
as economic impact of the taxes on products, cultural trends, and accessibility to healthier
options.