Mexico City, Mar 4 (EFE).- Mexico reaches World Obesity Day as one of the leaders in overweight worldwide and with a still bleak outlook to reduce these numbers in its general population.
“The overall picture in the world is not flattering. And in Mexico we have seen that the trends continue towards an increase in the disease and its comorbidities, such as diabetes and hypertension,” endocrinologist María Elena Sañudo told EFE.
Globally, it is estimated that close to 800 million people live with obesity; while in Mexico, the 2021 National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut) shows that around 50 million Mexicans live with overweight and obesity.
Within the framework of World Obesity Day, which is commemorated on March 4, the expert recalled that Mexico ranks fifth in obesity in the world, with a prevalence of overweight and obesity of 72.4% in the population of 20 years and more.
While almost 43% of adolescents and 37% of school-age children also suffer from them, “it is a major public health problem,” emphasized the also medical director at Sanofi.
However, he stated that “hardly” the population identifies that the problem of overweight or obesity is a health problem and is a disease.
“Being overweight or obese has been normalized and is not identified as a disease. Unfortunately in the last two decades we have seen that this problem has increased and the trend continues like this, ”he lamented.
FAIL IN GOAL OF LOSING WEIGHT
Despite the fact that people often look for ways to fight overweight and obesity, a survey carried out by the company Allurios Technologies revealed that of the Mexican men and women who tried to lose weight during the pandemic, only 32% succeeded. , while the remaining 68% had momentary results or failed in their objective.
The survey called “Life habits in the Mexican population, diet and its relationship with overweight and obesity”, carried out in November 2022 and where more than 1,000 Mexicans between the ages of 18 and 65 participated, revealed that 65% of the Overweight and obese people are concerned about their health.
However, the percentage of those who manage to reach the optimal weight, even trying different solutions, is still very low.
Isolated actions such as exercising or following a diet without the support of a medical program that offers the patient the most convenient strategy to achieve weight reduction, is one of the reasons why such a high number of overweight Mexicans and obesity fail in their attempt to have a healthy weight,” said bariatric surgeon Antonio Spaventa.
FOOD AND PREVENTION ARE KEY
For Sañudo, one of the keys to combat obesity is food, and in this sense, he stressed that Mexico has made significant efforts to improve the diet of Mexicans.
Especially, he highlighted, on the issue of frontal food labeling, which was implemented in Mexico in 2019 and, in his opinion, has helped people make better decisions regarding the food they eat.
“Ensanut 2021 showed that close to 90% of the people surveyed recognize the warning labels and that this is helpful for parents to choose healthier options,” said Sañudo.
For his part, Ismael Nonato, a researcher at the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), considered that it is necessary to improve the built environment and create strategies that promote active and healthy lifestyles to prevent obesity.
“Obesity is not a nutritional or aesthetic problem. It is a health problem that generates premature death. We must influence the factors that can transform the obesogenic environment ”, she specified. EFE (I)
