Mexico Set to Surpass US as Fattest Nation

Mexico is now the world`s second fattest nation and may surpass the United States if the trend continues for the next ten years, according to Mexican health officials.

In Mexico, more than sixty-six percent of the men are overweight and seventy-one percent of the Mexican women also have weight problems, according to national surveys. This may be due to the fact that Mexicans have sedentary lives, they eat a lot of fat and processed foods, and they consume large amounts of soft drinks.

National studies proved that the number of overweight children of up to eleven years old has increased by forty percent since 2000. In some areas of Mexico, it`s easier to buy a soft drink than get a clean glass of water. This may be one of the reasons why the soft drink consumption increased by sixty percent since 1994, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

Local grocery vendors complain that people are eating less fruits and vegetables and more junk food. The government has started a campaign that encourages low-fat milk consumption by adding more taxes on whole milk. Legislators also tried to decrease the consumption of junk food by putting warning labels on such products.

The health risks of increased Body Mass Index (BMI) include high blood pressure, higher risks of suffering from heart disease, and high risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes is now the leading cause of death in Mexico, and almost ten million Mexicans suffer from diabetes, according to the Mexican Diabetes Federation.

The Mexican health care system has a lot to suffer and may be even bankrupt in the next ten years if the trend continues, said Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova.