Mexico's Growing Problem

The current trend away from a natural, simple diet of corn, beans, and vegetables such as squash is contributing to Mexico’s rapidly expanding obesity problem. According to a recent study cited in the San Diego Union-Tribune, approximately 68 percent of Mexicans are obese. That makes Mexico the second-fattest nation on earth, after its close neighbor, the United States. Directly linked to obesity, diabetes is the leading cause of death in Mexico.

Like the Americans, Mexicans eat too much junk food and don’t get enough exercise. The problem is greatest among urban Mexicans, where even extremely poor people can be seen munching Doritos and giving toddlers sips of Coke. Fast-food is everywhere, and while more expensive and less nutritious than whole foods, it is also more convenient and accessible.

A 2000 study by the Mexican Health Foundation et al, pegged Mexico’s obese urban population at 21 percent. If the current trend continues, Mexico will have more gorditos than any other country in the world by 2018. As the population expands (in both number and girth), subway trains, buses and even big city streets feel increasingly crowded.