By Franco Ordonez
UNION-TRIBUNE MCT NEWS SERVICE
March 24, 2008
MEXICO CITY ““ Fueled by the rising popularity of soft drinks and fast food restaurants, Mexico has become the second-fattest nation in the world. Mexican health officials say it could surpass the United States as the most obese country within 10 years if trends continue. More than 71 percent of Mexican women and 66 percent of Mexican men are overweight, according to the latest national surveys.
With diabetes now Mexico’s leading cause of death, activists and leaders hope to renew efforts to crack down on fatty-food consumption and encourage citizens to exercise more. But it will be a tough battle, as industry groups are expected to put up a fight. No one knows better the country’s affection for fattening foods than Lidia Garcia Garduno, who’s run a fruit stand in central Mexico City for the past 10 years.
“People don’t eat right anymore,” said Garcia Garduno, mixing a drink of strawberries and pineapple. “Instead of coming here and purchasing a fruit drink, they prefer to walk across the street and buy fried pork chips. That’s why so many Mexicans are obese.”
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