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Puerto Rico has then highest obesity rate in the United States. It's even higher than the Deep South. The first time I went to Puerto Rico I was astonished at the amount of obese people, the women in particular. I did not seem to see as many obese men as I did obese women. The US Department of Health & Human Services and the CDC has been sounding the alarm over Puerto Rico's obesity problem for years but nobody on the island seems to take notice.
IMO it has nothing to do with McDonald's or any fast food chain but rather that the cultural values in Latin America tend to see 'plumpness' as a good thing and combined with their traditional diets it is not surprising that they have such obesity rates. Simply put, they view fat in the way we view fit.
I know what you mean, but Latino is not a race. Yes for the most part much of Latin America, except maybe the southern cone sees plumpness as something normal or even sexy
People say they don't want the government in their lives but, who makes the freeways and highways? Who provides the police and firefighters? Without government we would live in a crazy chaotic Darwinian world where only the fittest survive. Where you have to screw someone over or be screwed. I think that it is very stupid to have a cow over a 10 cent tax on a chocolate bar. Also, I think they need it, being that the general public in most countries aren't smart or know things. They won't know or even bother to look up things on their own, also not everyone is a dietetic, doctor, chemist, engineer, etc.
Another thing is, if there was a big tax and/or tax on something like Medicine, or actual foods that we need, Not some stupid 1 peso tax on cheetos or lays bag, then they should protest.
Right, but comparing highways and firefighters to a government trying to control what you eat is pretty bold. You're free to go there but you aren't making a point.
Everyone knows that candy is not good for you, that's common knowledge. The Mexican government should focus a little more on the ridiculous amounts of drugs and crime in their country and less if Maria or Jose want a candy bar.
I knew a few students from Puerto Rico when I was on my summer research internship in Tampa. The boy was chubby-bordering-fat, the girl was the same way, and the other girl (a Dominican immigrant) was perfect. The boy and girl later got married, and the girl lost like 50 lbs to fit into her wedding dress. True story.
I heard that Mexico's obesity rate recently exceeded the U.S.? If so, I can see why...a lot of portly Mexican men AND women. It seems to affect both members of a couple when they begin to have kids, some earlier.
Also, one thing I noticed when I went to Mexico was the lack of diet soft drinks. If you go to a Mexican OXXO or corner store, you are likely to have only two or three diet options. Compare that to the U.S. where you have about a dozen or two calorie-free options.
All of my 'south of the border' experiences have been in Buenos Aires, Uruguay, and Mexico; having traveled to each extensively and frequently. I saw so little obesity in Argentina and Uruguay that it really didn't register. Not to the point where you see it every day, all day here in Gringoland. Some overweight, but not to the degree where one would be classified as obese.
We all know about Mexico. However, I saw less obesity in the remote villages where I visited/worked, (Tierra Caliente/Rio Balsas Valley in northern Guerrero), than in the larger cities further north of Guerrero.
I don't know about other Latin American countries. Haven't heard of Chile, Argentina, Colombia or Peru experience health or obesity problems.
What I think is out of whack is that the Mexican government is taking measures to combat obesity by taxing junk foods, and people are going crazy over a 1.5 pesos ($0.15 USD) tax.
The obesity rate in Chile is increasing. It is becoming a problem. They have had reality shows The Biggest Loser style and it is common to read about some artist or politician getting their weight loss surgery. However, they are far away from the US (There is still hope!).
The obesity rate in Chile is increasing. It is becoming a problem. They have had reality shows The Biggest Loser style and it is common to read about some artist or politician getting their weight loss surgery. However, they are far away from the US (There is still hope!).
I heard Argentina is starting to have a problem with it; on YT I saw this British show where they flew a couple of fat people down there to compare lives. The narrator said that it's mainly an issue with working class people down there so if you're mingling with more affluent city people you might not notice I guess.
And I was particularly taken aback by Latin America, where the rate of overweight or obese adults has nearly doubled since 1980, to a point almost on par with Europe and not too far behind North America- home of the infamously fat USA.
With that said I'm not totally surprised; on my last trip to Puerto Rico I noticed way more obese people then when I was there in the 90's, and one guy in Mexico was over 1,000 lbs a few years ago. It seems to me like many people think of this as a "first world problem", but that's really not the case.
To those with experience, how extensively does the Latin American media report the issue? Any comments on the situations of particular nations?
I blame it on fast food rising in popularity. Not that I think many Latin American diets are particularly healthy but people generally eat less processed foods. The area where my wife is from in Colombia, people often eat rice with potatoes several times a day and the diet is heavy in red meat but most people on average are not obese.
Last edited by NooYowkur81; 01-16-2014 at 08:30 AM..
For sure it has to do with changes in the diet and an increase in fast food + processed food. I traveled to Mexico frequently as a child and I didn't remember seeing so many overweight people and so much processed gunk in the supermarkets.
If you see Mexican TV most of the commercials now are dominated by american processed crap like cheetos, sodas, chocolate milk, american plastic cheeses (kraft). It doesn't help that Mexican companies like Bimbo have just gotten so big and spread their processed goods all over. It also doesn't help that Mexico does not have a strong excercise culture. It is so sad to see small boys and girls with big bellies, running around holding donuts and a soda.
The american food industry fills its foods with chemicals and additives, that cause many problems. Other countries have copied these shortcuts for pr
maximum profit. One good example is the use of these hydrogenated vegetable oils and corn syrups in practically everything. People were told lard and tropical oils like coconut oil were 'unhealthy' when in reality, soy oil is one of the worst oils to digest . Now, many countries in Latin America are using these crap oils.
Last edited by rosa surf; 03-12-2014 at 06:56 PM..
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