The problem of obesity and overweight in Mexico
- LatamSinFiltro
- Jul 22
- 11 min read
Mexico has one of the highest rates of childhood overweight and obesity in the world. According to data from the Mexican Ministry of Health [1], in 2025, 37.3% of the adult population is overweight and 38.9% is considered to be obese. The National Continuous Health and Nutrition Survey [2] revealed in 2023 that obesity rates are higher in rural areas (40.2%) than in cities (38.6%). In addition, 38.1% of teenagers aged between 12 to 19 are either overweight or obese. Over the past two decades, obesity has significantly contributed to the high percentage of mortality, disability, and premature death among the population. Obesity is the leading public health concern in Mexico.
However, this concern is rather recent. In 1988, only 9.5% of the Mexican population was considered obese [3]. The graph below represents the obesity prevalence in Mexico among different groups. It was produced by two researchers from the School of Government and Public Transformation of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in 2024 [4]:
Obesity prevalence in Mexico (based on high body mass index, BMI), 1990-2020
How obesity has affected the different population groups through the years?
It would have been interesting to include a curve representing the average of all groups, as well as another showing the obesity prevalence among the elderly, so that the data could be compared with those of younger populations.
We can observe that over time, the obesity rate has increased for all of the groups studied. The situation in Mexico is very worrying, especially for children as they are more likely to develop diseases caused by malnutrition at an increasingly younger age.
Now let’s see how we can find an explanation for the problem of obesity in Mexico.
UNESCO Cultural Heritage: Mexican Food History
Mexican cuisine reflects centuries of history and the diversity of civilizations that have influenced the country's eating habits. Mexican cuisine as we know it has pre-Hispanic roots and evolved with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the Americas and, much later, with globalization.
Traditional foods of the Mesoamerican (pre-Hispanic) diet are products that the Aztec, Mayan and Olmec civilizations cultivated on their lands: corn, red beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, squash, green leaves, nopal, cocoa, avocados... The Mesoamerican diet included small amounts of animal protein (fish, insects, reptiles, etc.), but it remained rather balanced and provided a good amount of macro and micronutrients. Corn is the main ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It is used for the preparation of many traditional dishes such as tortillas, tamales and many other “platillos”.
Likewise, ancestral Mexican gastronomy is characterized by unique cultivation methods as the milpa (interplanting of corn, beans and squash) and the chinampa (artificial islands created in lake areas for agricultural purposes); preparation processes like the nixtamalization (soaking and cooking corn in lime water to increase its nutritional value); and utensils such as stone metates and mortars.
Mexican cuisine is very diverse: each region has its own unique dishes. The country's vast extension and varying climates and landscapes mean that different regions cultivate different products and eat different foods.
Upon their arrival in Mexico in the 16th century, the Spanish brought foods from Europe and Asia, such as rice, wheat, dairy products like milk and cheese, chicken, pork, onions, and olive oil. They also introduced their methods of cooking and food preservation to the native populations.
From 1810 onwards, the cuisine of independent Mexico was influenced by European and Asian cuisines. This unique fusion of flavors earned Mexico’s cuisine the UNESCO World Heritage status in 2010.
Finally, the acceleration of globalization at the end of the 20th century and especially the coming into force of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, signed between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, completely transformed Mexican eating habits. The facilitation of trade flooded the Mexican market with ultra processed foods and introduced the country to "junk food." These ultra processed foods, mainly imported from the U.S, penetrated the Mexican market through a dynamic marketing and sales strategy.
NAFTA not only introduced a large number of foods with poor nutritional value to the market, but also disrupted the country's entire agricultural sector. Since the treaty's implementation, obesity rates, diabetes, and hypertension rates have steadily increased.
Thus, is there a correlation between the implementation of NAFTA in Mexico and the increase in obesity rates?
NAFTA, harmful to Mexico's health
NAFTA aims to promote trade between the three signatory countries. However, it is not a customs union, but a free trade area. Countries can independently set their own tariffs; there are no common customs duties. NAFTA is probably the most important treaty in Mexico's recent history, as it became one of the U.S' main trading partners.
The treaty aims, among other things, to create a global agri-food market organized between the three economies [5]. However, this has had many negative effects on Mexican farmers’ activity and a considerable impact on the country's food self-sufficiency.
Loss of food sovereignty
Until the end of the 20th century, Mexico enjoyed food self-sufficiency. However, since the 1980s, particularly with Mexico's integration into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a new idea emerged in Mexico: food self-sufficiency was no longer necessary. The then government decided to use its comparative advantage by specializing its production in what generates most profit and import the rest from other countries. Mexico decided then to specialize in intensive crops: avocados, tomatoes, nuts, strawberries... and drop the cultivation of corn, wheat, oats, beans, milk, etc. Mexico imports those products from countries such as the United States.
Since 1994, Mexican imports of U.S. corn have been rising. Between 1994 and 2016, they increased by 78% [6]. This specialization strategy was not a strategic choice for the country [7] because corn is a staple food in the Mexican diet, and with that Mexico has lost its self-sufficiency for this product. It also happened with beans which is also a staple food in Mexico. Therefore, the country no longer produces corn or beans, products that are constantly in high internal and external demand, just like wheat, for example. Mexico prioritized the agri-food sector to the detriment of traditional agriculture.
The government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) initiated the SEGALMEX project in 2019. The SEGALMEX is a new government institution aimed at strengthening the country's food security. Mexico had set itself the goal of regaining self-sufficiency in corn, beans, and wheat, but results have remained insufficient, and the country continues to rely on imports from the United States.
Faced with rising prices of commodities and staple food since the 2000s, and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine, products like corn, wheat flour or beans have been greatly affected by price fluctuations on international markets causing a decrease of its consumption in the country. Between 2006 and 2021, rice consumption (in kg) decreased by 21% and that of beans by 42% [8] Corn consumption only increased by 6%. The price of these foods rose over the same period: +85% for rice, +51% for beans, and +86% for corn.
So what do most Mexicans eat nowadays?
“Fast food,” “junk food,” “ultra-processed food”: the evolution of eating habits in Mexico
As previously mentioned, since the implementation of NAFTA in Mexico, the country has gradually stopped growing staple foods, creating a reliance on imports, in particular in U.S imports. These products have suffered significant price increases over the years, leading to a decline in consumption. In addition, trade liberalization has opened the Mexican market to ultra-processed foods which, unlike corn and beans, are pretty affordable.
The Mexican government defines ultra-processed foods as «all products which have undergone, through industrial techniques, alterations of their natural form; in general, these foods are high in sodium, added sugars, saturated fats and trans fats, giving them a higher nutrient density and a lower contribution of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
I must highlight that, even though I am not an expert, ultra-processed foods can be included in moderation in a balanced diet without having any harmful effects on health. However, a diet based on ultra-processed foods has negative effects on health and is directly linked to the development of several chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
Unlike foods like corn or rice, ultra-processed products are often affordable due to low production costs and the use of affordable ingredients like sugar. Nowadays, these products are mainly marketed to the working class and also to kids. NAFTA has facilitated the sale of sodas, flavored drinks, potato chips, prepared meals, breakfast foods, cooked and cold meats, and other processed foods, but not vegetables nor fruits.[9].
In reality, ultra-processed products imported from the United States or from North American companies established in Mexico began to penetrate the Mexican market in the 1960s. At that time, these products were mainly aimed at urban populations, belonging to the wealthy classes whose pace of life was very different from that of rural areas. Initially, these products were not that cheap. However, American companies began to invest heavily in advertising, marketing, and distribution in order to reach other segments of society. With the implementation of NAFTA, the consumption of these products gradually became more common. Faced with an abundant and increasingly complex supply, capable of meeting an extremely diversified demand, the Mexican working classes were seduced by these products. The subsidies that North American companies benefit from establishing in Mexico have helped, among other things, to lower the prices of these foods.
Furthermore, other socioeconomic changes must be taken into account to understand the impact of the treaty on the eating habits of Mexicans. From the 1960s onwards, many people left rural areas to work in cities where the pace of life is much faster. In addition, the arrival of women in the workforce gave them less time for the household chores that were previously assigned to them. People started to have less time to cook, as in Mexico people work more than 40 hours a week, sometimes up to 49 hours.
In addition, the 1995 economic crisis severely impacted Mexicans' purchasing power, leading a large part of the population to opt for fast foods or ultra processed foods, which are often more affordable. In 2025, poverty still affects a large part of the Mexican population. A report published by the organization México Cómo Vamos in May 2025 indicates that 33.9% of the Mexican population still lives in poverty (here the term poverty refers to the inability of households to feed all its members) and cannot afford the average basket [10].
All these factors, among others, push Mexicans to choose ultra-processed foods and prepared meals: these are the most affordable and the most convenient.
The table below shows that since 1984, Mexicans' spending on processed products has increased while spending on raw food such as fruits, animal products and vegetables has decreased [11]:
Average spending, part of spending and its variation (in percentage) in food, drinks y tabaco - Mexico, 1984-2014
In 1984, Mexicans spent mainly on meat, grains, milk, and other dairy products. In 2014, food consumed away from home, prepared meals, and non-alcoholic beverages (which can include water and sodas) were the products that registered the largest increases in spending. Mexicans tend to consume more sodas and prepared meals than vegetables, meats, and whole grains.
Conclusion
In conclusion, academic literature demonstrates a correlation between the entry into force of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the change in eating habits in Mexico. NAFTA, by facilitating access to the Mexican market for ultra processed foods, is one of the indirect causes of the increase in obesity in the country. However, NAFTA is obviously not the only cause of obesity in Mexico. Globalization, in general, has had an impact on the eating habits of many countries. In addition, all the socioeconomic changes that occurred during the second half of the 20th century favored the rise of fast food and the consumption of junk food.
In order to fight obesity, the Mexican government has already taken several measures: in 2019, the AMLO government approved changes to the labeling of processed foods and sodas to warn consumers of the excessive amounts of calories, sugars, saturated fats, and sodium present in these products.
The Mexican State must continue its efforts to raise public awareness. Indeed, the government has already implemented several awareness campaigns, as well as campaigns to promote physical activity among children and teenagers. In schools, the sale of ultra-processed foods and sodas has been banned since 2024. Implementing nutrition classes or increasing the number of hours of physical education could also be a solution to reduce the obesity rate in the country in the long run. However, education is not the only issue to address. A lot of Mexicans cannot afford the average basket, so how could they eat healthy if products like vegetables or corn and flour are more expensive than a bag of takis?
[1] «Secretaría de Salud llama a la población a sumarse a la lucha contra la obesidad», Gobierno de México, http://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/044-secretaria-de-salud-llama-a-la-poblacion-a-sumarse-a-la-lucha-contra-la-obesidad.
[2] «Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición Continua 2023. Resultados Nacionales - Portal INSP», https://insp.mx/novedades-editoriales/encuesta-nacional-de-salud-y-nutricion-continua-2023-resultados-nacionales.
[3] Torres, Felipe, & Rojas, Agustín. (2018). Obesidad y salud pública en México: transformación del patrón hegemónico de oferta-demanda de alimentos. Problemas del desarrollo, 49(193), 145-169. https://doi.org/10.22201/iiec.20078951e.2018.193.63185
[4] “¿Qué efecto han tenido las políticas públicas en el sobrepeso y obesidad de los niños mexicanos? | Escuela de Gobierno y Transformación Pública”, https://egobiernoytp.tec.mx/es/blog/que-efecto-han-tenido-las-politicas-publicas-en-el-sobrepeso-y-obesidad-de-los-ninos-mexicanos
[5] Morales Vázquez, B. H., Ramírez Domínguez, M. D. J., Reséndiz Ortega, M. E., Franco Hernández, J. L., & Dixon Acosta, E. A. (2017). El impacto del TLCAN en las finanzas y la economía de México: una mirada desde las MIPYMES / The Impact of NAFTA in Mexico’s Economy and Finances: a view from the MIPYMES. RICEA Revista Iberoamericana de Contaduría, Economía y Administración, 6(12), 110–133. https://doi.org/10.23913/ricea.v6i12.99
[6] Luz María Espinosa Cortés, “Hegemonía de Estados Unidos en el orden agroalimentario mundial y la pérdida de la autosuficiencia alimentaria de México”, Ciencia ergo sum 29, núm. 1 (2022), https://doi.org/10.30878/ces.v29n1a4
[7] Valencia Romero, R., Sánchez Bárenas, H. y Robles Ortiz, D. (2019). Soberanía alimentaria de granos básicos en México: un enfoque de cointegración de Johansen a partir del TLC. Análisis económico, 34(87), 223-248. Disponible en https://www.redalyc.org/journal/413/41362257010/html/index.html
[8] López. R., Gallardo, D. & De La Torre, H., (2022). La política social en México: alcances y limitaciones para enfrentar la pobreza alimentaria en la época de postpandemia. Revista COFACTOR.
[9] Garza, B. & Ramos, E. (2017). Cambios en los patrones de gasto en alimentos y bebidas de hogares mexicanos (1984–2014). Salud Pública de México, 59(6, novdic), 612. https://doi.org/10.21149/8220
[10] ¿Cómo vamos? México, Al primer trimestre de 2025, baja la informalidad y la pobreza laboral llega a su nivel más bajo registrado, el 28 de mayo de 2025, https://mexicocomovamos.mx/publicaciones/2025/05/baja-la-informalidad-y-la-pobreza-laboral-llega-a-su-nivel-mas-bajo-1t2025/.
[11] Beatriz Gabriela Garza-Montoya y María Elena Ramos-Tovar, “Cambios en los patrones de gasto en alimentos y bebidas de hogares mexicanos (1984-2014)”, Salud Pública de México 59, núms. 6, nov-dic (2017): 6, nov-dic, https://doi.org/10.21149/8220.
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