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Global Health Matters

September - October, 2007  |  Volume 6, Issue 5

Mexican Men and Women with Higher Socio-Economic Status are More Likely to be Overweight

Photo: WHO, Herminio Oliveira

Education to promote exercise and moderate consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages may be as important in the developing world as it is in the U.S., according to a recent study supported by Fogarty International Center.

A house-to-house survey conducted of 12,873 rural, poor Mexican adults found that those with a higher socio-economic status are more likely to be overweight or obese, according to a recent paper published in Social Science Medicine. Within the poorest quintile of the Mexican population, body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with socio-economic status (SES) regardless of how it was measured: as education, occupation, household income, housing, assets or subjective social status. The sample was designed to be representative of the poorest, rural communities in seven of Mexico's 31 states.

"The prevalence of overweight or obesity in Mexico is over 60 percent in women and 50 percent in men, and these estimations of prevalence are as high in adults from poor, rural areas as they are in a nationally representative sample of adults," according to a paper, written by University of California at Berkeley Professor Lia Fernald. "Obesity is a serious, chronic condition that contributes to numerous preventable diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease which are already present in a large number of Mexicans."

According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 60 percent of the burden of chronic diseases will occur in developing countries by 2020. A critical remaining concern is whether there is variation within middle-income countries, such as Mexico, that could leave certain segments of the population more vulnerable to chronic diseases than others.

Positive associations between SES and BMI in Mexico's low-income, rural population are likely to be related to the changing patterns of food availability, food composition, consumption patterns and cultural factors. Interventions to prevent and treat overweight and obesity and to assist individuals with weight control are urgently needed in Mexico, according to the article, especially among economically vulnerable segments of the population.

The author suggests that there is a portion of the population--the more affluent and health-conscious--who already demand diet products including low-carbohydrate and sugar-free foods and beverages. However, these foods and fads are not likely to be accessible, nor necessarily appealing, to the rural poor.

The findings suggest it is important to consider the issues and concerns of low-income populations separately from those of the country as a whole. The data also indicate within the poorest quintile of the population, women, particularly those who are older and have received some primary education, are a critical group to target when designing and developing interventions to address obesity.

The project was supported by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, the Fogarty International Center, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health, and the Mexican government.

Socio-economic status and body mass index in low-income Mexican adults. Lia Fernald L. Soc Sci Med 2007 May:64(10):2030-2042.