Interesting articles
Obesity
According to the data of the report, which are 2008, the prevalence of obesity in adults reached 32.8%, overcoming the United States for the first time, which, according to the same report, recorded 31.8% .
However, there are 19 countries in the world that have a higher percentage of obesity in the world. The first three places are in Oceania: Nauru, with 71.1%; The Cook Islands, with 64.1% and Tonga with 59.6%. And others who exceed it are, for example: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahamas, Belize and South Africa.
So, why is Mexico now considered the 'biggest' country? Because it has the highest index of obesity of the countries of the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD).
How long did it take Mexico to get fat for both and why did it happen?
Researchers in nutrition and public health affirm that it is the result of an epidemiological transition that began 30 years ago.
Specialists explain that it is the product of the combination of several factors: higher food consumption with high caloric concentration; the reduction of prices in this type of food; the decrease in physical activity; Insecurity to develop activities in public spaces and a lifestyle that decreases the time dedicated to elaborate food.
In addition, the possible genetic predisposition of Mexicans is analyzed to metabolize fats and sugars differently.
In Mexico, national nutrition surveys developed by the Secretariat of Health began to be held in 1988, but the data on obesity in adults was broken down since 2000. Thereafter, the < Strong> Obesity in adults It passed 23.5% in 2000, to 30.2% in 2006.
Statistically, Mexico can boast that the problem of obesity was slowed down and decreased in the last four years, located the average prevalence of adults by 32.4%, according to the National Survey of Health and Nutrition 2012 .
30 years of caloric concentration
The figures are just the visible part of a process that began several decades ago, explains the Nutrióloga Cecilia García Schinkel, Director in Mexico at the International Life Science Institute (ILSI), association specialized in public health and founded in the United States in 1978 .
We have lived an epidemiological transition in the last 30 years
We still did not defeat malnutrition, when the obesity began, which is already considered a chronic, systemic and inflammatory disease.
There is no need to simplify the explanation of this epidemic
On the one hand, it has to do with the individual, the genetics, tastes and customs of him; It also has to see with the organization of the family and the city in which he lives; with the availability of food, price and ease to prepare them; With public safety and the possibility of exercising in open spaces, and also with public policies and regulations towards companies. All this took decades to be configured “, says the Executive Director of ILSI in Mexico.
Mexico is the main co-consumer of soft drinks and other sugary beverages, with an average of 163 liters per person per year, according to Yale University and the None-Governmental Organization Oxfam.
In relation to the availability of healthy foods, the FAO report explains that both food and supermarket processors are growing rapidly in many developing countries. These modern stores replace traditional media and increase the availability of processed and packed foods, which can contribute to the problems of obesity and overweight .
The purchase of processed foods, which according to FAO " they are frequently high in sugar, fats and salt and poor in important micronutrients " 50% is performed in Mexico in traditional markets and 50% in supermarkets.
In contrast, approximately 73% of the fruits and vegetables that are consumed are purchased at traditional stores, such as tianguis and roofed popular markets.
In other countries such as Nicaragua, Thailand and Turkey, where the same market share study was applied, the results were consistent that fruits and vegetables are acquired mostly in traditional markets.
The report indicates that sales of processed foods have increased around the world and it is easier to acquire them since " much of this growth is driven by modern food manufacturers who sell products in traditional markets in urban areas and rural ".
García explains that there are still no conclusive studies on the apparent genetic predisposition of Mexicans to develop obesity , although there are solid research groups that study the interaction between nutrients and genes from the indigenous population and mestizo in Mexico, as the heading by the doctors Armando Tovar and Nimbe Torres.
& Ldquo; Today we know that a diet high in fat or carbohydrates makes our genes expressed differently towards different diseases " says García. There are also studies in epigenetics that inform us that when the mother or grandma had malnutrition, her children and grandchildren are more likely to certain conditions, among which are the overweight and the obesity. < / Strong>
" are new research areas, but there are signs that the genetic composition of Latinos could make us more susceptible to the overweight , although we still have no definitive evidence “, says García Schinkel.
.
Financial load
The obesity in Mexico implies a serious public health problem but also budget. In the book obesity in Mexico : Recommendations for a State policy It is estimated that by 2017 the Problems of obesity will cost Mexico between 70,000 and 101 billion pesos (from 5.4 to 7.7 billion dollars).
During the presentation of that book, Dr. Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco, a researcher at the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), said that in Mexico an environment & ldquo, obesigenic “ that stimulates food consumption with high caloric concentration: products with saturated flours and fats, sweetener beverages and sedentary life, among other factors.
& ldquo; Until a few years ago, it was thought that the problem of the obesity was only responsibility for individuals and that the only function of the authorities was to give education and motivation to eat healthily, but the Observation and studies indicate that a promoter environment of the obesity interferes with the adoption of healthy behaviors “ said Rivera.
According to the Economic Analysis Unit of the Ministry of Health, in 2008, 67,000 million pesos were allocated (5.1 billion dollars) to meet health issues linked to the overweight , as the < Strong> Diabetes , cardiovascular problems, hypertension, kidney and liver problems.
Privacy Policy
The information presented here is the responsibility of the advertiser, Directory of Bariatricians in Merida Yucatan It drops from any claim or problem with any of the advertisers.
Contact us
