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Unusually high prevalence rates of obesity in four Mexican rural communities

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 55, pages 833–840 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To establish the nutritional status of previously studied rural populations.

Design and subjects: A total of 139 households with 245 males and 301 females from four relatively isolated Mexican rural communities were randomly selected to be surveyed in 1996.

Results: Underweight was not a problem in either children or adults. In children <5 y only three (4.2%) were stunted but the age- and sex-specific distributions of body mass index (BMI) in children showed 17% of boys and 19% of girls exceeded the proposed International Obesity Task Force limits for classifying the overweight. Triceps skinfold values were similar to NHANESI values for white USA children. Of the adult men 42% were overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9) and 9% obese; 40% of adult women were overweight and a further 33% obese. Adjusting BMI values with corrected total heights by relating them to measured knee height reduced the BMI of women >50 y by 2.0 units; the male data were essentially unchanged. The prevalence of abdominal obesity in women, based on waist measurements and WHO cut-off points was high with 25% of women having elevated values despite a normal BMI; 43% of the overweight women had substantial increases in waist measurements, indicative of high risk, as did 91% of obese women. The men's waist measurements were greater in relation to both BMI and body fat but the prevalence of values in excess of the suggested sex-specific WHO limits was less than half that of women.

Conclusions: The high prevalence of overweight and obesity is now evident in poor and relatively isolated rural communities of Mexico.

Sponsorship: The Chronic Disease Office, from the Ministry of Health in Mexico partially financed this study.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 833–840

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Office of Chronic Diseases from the Ministry of Health in Mexico for partially financing this study. We also thank the volunteers without whom this study could not have been undertaken. We also wish to thank the British Council in Mexico for financial assistance and Jean James for her unconditional support.

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Author notes

  1. CP Sánchez-Castillo: Guarantor: CP Sánchez-Castillo.

  2. CP Sánchez-Castillo, JJ Lara, AR Villa, J Aguirre, M Escobar, H Gutiérrez, A Chávez and WPT James: Contributors: CPS-C was responsible for the design of the study, arranged funding and overall co-ordination. She participated in data analysis, interpretation of results and preparation of the manuscript. JJL was responsible for general supervision of the community study, data collection, aided in data handling, analysis and writing of the first draft. ARV was responsible for analytical procedures and statistical analysis. JA and ME were responsible for data collection and were involved in the design of the study and writing of the first draft of the manuscript. HG arranged funding and participated in the overall design of study and revision of manuscript. ACH participated in the epidemiological aspects of the study and revision of the manuscript. WPTJ participated in the interpretation and discussion of the results and writing and editing of manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiología de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Dirección de Nutrición, México, UK

    CP Sánchez-Castillo, JJ Lara, AR Villa, J Aguirre, M Escobar & A Chávez

  2. Secretaría de Salud, Dirección de Enfermedades Crónicas, México, UK

    H Gutiérrez

  3. International Obesity Task Force, London, UK

    WPT James

Authors
  1. CP Sánchez-Castillo
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  2. JJ Lara
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  3. AR Villa
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  4. J Aguirre
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  5. M Escobar
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  6. H Gutiérrez
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  7. A Chávez
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  8. WPT James
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to CP Sánchez-Castillo.

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Sánchez-Castillo, C., Lara, J., Villa, A. et al. Unusually high prevalence rates of obesity in four Mexican rural communities. Eur J Clin Nutr 55, 833–840 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601238

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601238

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