Mexico overtakes US in obesity levels

Mexico has surpassed the United States in levels of adult obesity, though the country remains far below levels found in some island nations and parts of the Middle East.

Mexican activists and academics are expressing concern about the dubious distinction, noting that some Mexicans remain malnourished while others are becoming obese.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says in a recent report that 32.8 percent of Mexicans suffer obesity, compared to 31.8 percent of Americans.

Egypt clocks in at 34.6 percent and Kuwait at 42.8 percent, though they are still far below the 71.1 percent-level of Nauru, a Micronesian island state in the Pacific.

Activists said Wednesday that Mexico’s adoption of processed foods and the abandonment of the country’s traditional diet have contributed to a severe obesity problem.