Mexico faces soaring childhood obesity rate

Mexico’s biggest food worry used to be hunger, but now it’s in a quandary over how to get its children to lay off unhealthful snacks and exercise more. That is more complicated than they sound.

Mexican health officials say overeating and poor dietary habits have contributed to a fast-rising childhood obesity rate, behind only the United States for highest in the world. One-quarter of all school-age Mexicans, and more than one-third of adolescents, are overweight or obese. (More than two-thirds of grownups are too heavy.)

Read the entire story here: Los Angeles Times

Interesting article from the L.A. Times. In my relatively brief life in MX (seven months in Ajijic), I've experienced a much healthier lifestyle (better diet, more active, etc.) than in the States. In fact, I've lost 25 pounds without really trying and that's even being in the States for nearly half of the time. Also, while I do see over-weight children, it doesn't seem like a huge problem at Lakeside.

Thanks for the link Demonio. While there doesn't seem to be too many rotund ninos lakeside obesity is just one outcome of poor nutrition. Dr. Juan Pablo was the public health officer for the municipality of Chapala for a couple of years and if you want to hear a good old fashioned rant sometime just ask him, as proper nutrition is one of his hottest buttons (smoking and lake water quality are right up there too).

On another nutritional note, during an exam one time he was lamenting the fact that so many Mexican adults had ulcers. Waaaaa, ulcers? How can ulcers be a health issue in one of the most kicked-back communities on earth I ask. "The limes Bob, they put lime juice on everything." So you margarita heads might want to take note.

Oh and while I'm at it. If you ever find yourself in Dr. Juan's office ask to see what project his wife is working on. She's a high caliber restoration artist and always has something interesting to see in her studio next to his exam room. Last time we were there we she was tending to a large hand carved religious statue from the late 1700's and a painted clay effigy from who knows when. Interesting stuff to be sure.

Anyone notice how many Coca Cola trucks are making the rounds, and how many sweets the kids (and adults) consume, along with the crispy fried stuff? Ya think there may be a connection?

Notice what an uproar they are having in the states about eliminating soft drinks machines in the schools? Ya think there just might be a lobby with lots of money opposing that move?
Same thing in Mexico?
So I have a suspicious mind. How do you suppose it got that way? lol.

gringal wrote:
Notice what an uproar they are having in the states about eliminating soft drinks machines in the schools? Ya think there just might be a lobby with lots of money opposing that move?
Same thing in Mexico?
So I have a suspicious mind. How do you suppose it got that way? lol.

The Education and Health Secretariats are working towards limiting the consumption of junk food in the schools. The 2 biggest obstacles are of course politics and less understandable, lazy parents opposing restrictions.

Is the Coca Cola made there made with sugar or high fructose corn syrup? The Coke made with sugar tastes so much better. I hardly ever buy the stuff but since I don't drink, it's one of the options when out since I don't care for water.

It seems that México is doing it´s best to keep up with and perhaps surpass the US in this area. What a pity.
There is a huge battle NOB over salt too. No wonder. everything seems to have salt in it. Today I looked at the carton of half and half and the organic milk. They contain 90 and 110 mg of salt respectively. Now, that may occur naturally, but it underscores the fact that with what we add, most of us get way too much.
Agibusiness has been adding more and more salt to everything they process over the years just to make sure we become, and stay, addicted.
Shee-it! Heroin is less damaging to the human body that the amount of salt we consume. Lizzy

bobnliz wrote:Shee-it! Heroin is less damaging to the human body that the amount of salt we consume. Lizzy

Won't disagree with a word you said, but SUGAR is the killer. There's lots of opinions and various studies on salt, but if you ever read the articles on sugar and how too much of it affects your body it is amazing.

You're right on there, especially in the form of corn syrup, which is used because it is cheaper than the real thing. It too is very addictive.
The thing about salt is that it causes or exacerbates hypertension, and often results in stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, damage to kidneys, ad nauseum. L

Some of the Coca Cola in Mexico has sugar; some has corn syrup.
Pick yer pizin.

Neither are good for you. Even natural sugars are dangerous.
It's a shame, but boy for those of us who are getting older, sugar can cut the future short.

Alexander Woolcott once said, "Everything I really like to do is either immoral, illegal or fattening."Lizzy

Agreed about the sugar/high fructose corn syrup but unless you're diabetic I really think it's bad to use artificial sweeteners (and to me they taste revolting). I've read that many obese people swill tons of diet sodas so that seems to be a double whammy.

I love salty stuff but luckily I have low blood pressure. Lots of hidden sodium in processed foods.

It gets worse. Supposedly, the diet drinks actually result in people gaining weight, plus ingesting the chemicals that couldn't be good for you.

I have read that too. Something about the body reacting to the sweet taste as though it were the same es sugar? Lizzy

Yeah, it's something like causing you to crave more sweets, I think.

As to other foods, it really goes back to moderation in all things (but thats not always much fun.)

Well, the illnesses we get as a result of a poor diet aren't much fun, either. Besides, an occasional lapse isn't the problem. Lizzy