Obesity in Mexico

For the most part, we have to know that people gain weight when they want more calories than they burn. However, this is not the only factor that causes this. Among the causes of obesity and being overweight are several, such as age, as the body undergoes hormonal changes. Female sex is another factor, due to the fact that obesity and overweight occur with pregnancy and menopause. There are also sociocultural, genetic, and behavioral factors that generate these changes. However, there are many other factors that cause obesity and being overweight. 

It should be noted that overweight and obesity refer to excess body fat and are not the same thing. This is related to your BMI: if it is less than 18.5, you are underweight; if it is between 18.5 and 25, you are normal weight; and if it is greater than 25, you are overweight.

One of the easiest ways to reduce obesity and overweight is to have more and better parks, sidewalks, and gyms so that people can do physical activity. On the other hand, I believe that the way to make Mexicans eat healthier is to use stevia, a plant that is a natural substitute for sugar and has several benefits. Undoubtedly, the Mexican diet is bad, but we know that using stevia in common foods will bring several benefits from here. It is complicated to change the mentality of the Mexican, but if we decorate it with things that he likes, it makes this change easier. On the other hand, the solution is to increase taxes on sugar and soft drinks. Something like that in Mexico would be wonderful since people in Mexico consume a lot of soda. In fact, Mexico is the country that consumes the most soft drinks (Coca-Cola).

According to IMCO, 73% of adults and 35% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. That is, a total of 60.6 million people (52% of Mexicans) suffer from this condition (IMCO, The Costs of Obesity in Mexico, 2015). On the other hand, Coparmex, an association in Mexico, pointed out in 2014 that 11,500 million pesos were lost due to chronic degenerative diseases. (Javier Rodriguez Labastida, 2015).

On the other hand, about the prejudices caused by obesity and overweight problems. People with obesity spend 77% more on other medications and 36% more on health care, according to WHO data. According to Public Health Nutrition, by 2050, Mexico will have more than 12 million cases of diabetes, which will cost the government $7 billion each year.

 Daniel Puente - 27th Eco Generation Regional Ambassador to México -