Nutrition Transition and Obesity Dynamics in Mexican Populations
Summary
Mexico has experienced a rapid shift from traditional, plant-based diets towards patterns rich in processed foods, added sugars and saturated fats, a process known as the nutrition transition. Urbanisation, rising household incomes and changing food environments have facilitated widespread availability of energy-dense products and sugar-sweetened beverages. Concurrent declines in physical activity have exacerbated weight gain across the life course. Over the past three decades, national surveys reveal escalating prevalence of overweight and obesity among children, adolescents and adults, with disproportionate burdens falling on lower socioeconomic strata. Emerging evidence highlights how dietary shifts interact with cultural practices, policy measures and sociodemographic factors to shape population health. This interplay has not only fuelled an obesity epidemic but also reshaped patterns of non-communicable diseases, underlining the urgent need for context-sensitive interventions that address both nutrition and lifestyle determinants.
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Nutrition Transition and Obesity Dynamics in Mexican Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutrition transition and obesity dynamics in mexican populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Nutrition transition: The shift in dietary consumption and energy expenditure patterns that accompanies economic, demographic and environmental change.
Obesogenic environment: A milieu that promotes excessive caloric intake, sedentary behaviour and weight gain due to the availability, marketing and pricing of unhealthy foods.
Dietary patterns: Habitual combinations and quantities of foods and beverages consumed by a population or individual over time.
Socioeconomic status (SES): A composite measure of an individual’s or group’s economic and social position, typically based on education, income and assets.
Abdominal obesity: Excess fat accumulation around the waist, often assessed by waist circumference, and linked to increased cardiometabolic risk.
References
- Overweight and obesity in Mexican children and adolescents during the last 25 years. Nutrition & Diabetes (2017).
- Trends in the dietary patterns of Mexican adults by sociodemographic characteristics. Nutrition Journal (2020).
- Westernized and Diverse Dietary Patterns Are Associated With Overweight-Obesity and Abdominal Obesity in Mexican Adult Men. Frontiers in Nutrition (2022).
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