Consumption of fruits and vegetables has fallen by 30 per cent among Mexicans in the past 30 years, a new study reveals.
Together with more sedentary lifestyles, a lack of adequate meal planning and poor stress management, the resulting surge in obesity has become a significant public health issue, according to Elsy García Villegas, a health specialist from the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Official reports show that 72 out of every 100 young people in Mexico are now overweight or obese, while in adolescents the figure is four out of ten.
However, García said there were relatively simple solutions to the problem, such as individuals taking 10,000 steps a day.
Salvador Zubirán from the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition said he knew of several cases of school-aged children suffering from hypertension.
“Children between the ages of 12 and 19 have low levels of physical activity and an unbalanced diet rich in fast foods, sugar and desserts, which stimulate the appetite and lead to an increase in portion size,” he said.
García said part of the problem was the replacement of markets and traditional food shops with shopping malls and self service stores.
“Traditional stores sold many fat-free snacks such as yam beans, cucumbers and carrots; now we hold the dubious accolade of being the biggest consumers of soft drinks and instant soups in the world,” she said.
Zubirán noted that it was a myth to argue that vegetables did not provide a feeling of satiety. He said that consumers could keep costs down by buying seasonal fruits, and tuna and sardines instead of salmon, while cereals and legumes were a good replacement for red meat.
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