Mexico is facing an epidemic of obesity and overweight

The consumption of highly processed foods and sugary drinks has increased significantly in Mexico. At the same time, many people lack access to healthy food and spaces for physical activity. Added to this is a sedentary lifestyle and the influence of advertising for unhealthy foods.

Mexico has been struggling with malnutrition in various forms for decades. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition includes undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies (of vitamins or minerals), overweight, obesity and the associated complications.

A recent study by the National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública – INSP) examined changes in the diet and health of Mexicans over the last 120 years. From 1890 to 1950, the country struggled with severe undernutrition in children under five years of age and a poorly varied diet with low nutrient intake. According to the INSP and the National Academy of Medicine (Academia Nacional de Medicina – ANM), an estimated 1.3 million children under five years of age are chronically undernourished until today.

In the course of the 20th century, extreme poverty decreased, and rising incomes resulted in the opposite problem: from the 1970s onwards, the obesity epidemic that continues to this day took hold.

However, a higher calorie intake does not mean that people in Mexico are now wealthy. People spend more on high-calorie and low-nutrient foods not least because they are easily accessible and cheap. As a result, the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes and oilseeds is well below recommended levels, and about 30 % of calorie intake in Mexico comes from highly processed products, according to studies from the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and INSP.

In the last 30 years, obesity in children and adolescents has increased by 120 %, as a study for the World Obesity Federation shows. According to the INSP and ANM, there are an estimated 14 million children and adolescents in Mexico who are overweight (body mass index of at least 25 according to the WHO) and obese (body mass index of at least 30). A study on the prevention and reduction of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Mexico estimated that these and other health and nutrition problems cost an average of $ 1.8 trillion over a lifetime, or $ 30 billion annually. In addition to healthcare costs, this also means indirect costs due to reduced productivity and loss of life.

Food environments and income inequality

Obesity and overweight are widespread in all social classes in Mexico. According to official estimates, over 70 % of the total adult population is obese or overweight, with little difference between poorer and richer groups. Junk food is available everywhere and its consumption is normalised.

However, access to healthy food and a varied diet differs according to income and socioeconomic status. Nutritionists refer to the varying prevalence of healthy food as food oases or food swamps. Food oases have a diverse and nutritious range of products, including organic food. In Mexico, they are mainly found in high-income neighbourhoods. In contrast, food swamps are environments where there is little access to healthier foods, and a lack of financial resources limits people’s ability to afford them.

A study conducted between 2010 and 2020 in poorer urban areas in the Valle de México metropolitan area found that the proliferation of convenience stores is one of the factors contributing to the increase in food swamps. Most convenience stores in Mexico offer less nutritious, calorie-rich and cheap food. A worrying trend is that schools are also increasingly becoming food swamps.

The same study found that low-­income households spend a larger proportion of their total income on food, but not necessarily on a healthier diet. Higher-income households invest more in healthy eating, but with a lower proportion of their total spending budget. According to data from the 2022 National Survey of Seasonal Household Income and Expenditure and the Mexican Association of Marketing Research and Public Opinion Agencies, low-income households received an average monthly income of around $ 260 and spent between 42 % and 52 % of this on food. In contrast, the richest households had an average monthly income of around $ 3,800 and spent around 28 % of it on food.

A collective responsibility

According to the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), it is estimated that in the first quarter of 2024, almost 36 % of Mexicans did not have enough income to cover their basic food needs. The cost of basic foodstuffs amounts to around $ 126 per person in urban areas and about $ 98 in rural areas. A family of four living in the city therefore needs around $ 507 per month to cover their food needs, while a family in rural areas needs approximately $ 390 per month. Global inflation is making the situation worse.

Food security is not just about the availability of food. Its quality matters too. According to the World Bank, food security means that all people have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their daily dietary needs and preferences in order to lead a healthy and active life. In this sense, Mexico faces serious challenges in the area of food security. Although there are some programmes and efforts to change habits and lifestyles, it is important to recognise the collective responsibility of the government and society to protect people’s right to health. This includes regulating the prices of healthy food and creating sufficient income opportunities so that everyone can afford it. 

Pamela Cruz is the Special Projects Coordinator at Comunalia, a network of community foundations in Mexico and Strategic Advisor at MY World Mexico.
pamela.cruzm@gmail.com