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Mexico Launches 500,000-Person Obesity Study in New National Strategy as Regional Alarms Grow

The government intends to use longitudinal research to shape targeted policies in response to worsening child and adult rates reported across regions.

Overview

  • Health Secretary David Kershenobich unveiled the Estrategia de Desaceleración del Sobrepeso y la Obesidad, including follow-up of about 500,000 people to probe biological, social and environmental drivers and guide public policy.
  • ENSANUT 2023 data cited in new coverage indicate 76.2% of Mexican adults live with overweight or obesity, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
  • IMSS figures presented by director Zoé Robledo show Sonora ranks seventh nationally for childhood obesity, with 45% of minors there having overweight or obesity.
  • Baja California recorded 3,040 obesity cases from January 1 to February 21 in the federal epidemiological bulletin, up from 2,420 in the same 2025 period.
  • Regional snapshots point to widespread excess weight beyond Mexico, with Catamarca, Argentina warning that roughly 80% of residents have obesity or are at risk and Peru’s Ayacucho reporting 52.2% with excess weight per ENDES 2024.