Overweight and obesity crisis threatens Mexican children

The government in Mexico has launched a national strategy to increase awareness about food portion size and the benefits of physical activity to overcome the high-rate of obesity.

In Mexico, seven out of ten children between the ages of four and 16 are classified as overweight, and half of those as obese.

It's being called an epidemic, and one that has grown by 50 percent in the past two decades.

“Many children here eat very badly. All junk food. It's easy for children to put on weight, and very hard to lose it,” says Josefina, a Mexican citizen.

“Today our health industry demonises the obese, without providing proper education on how to avoid the problem,” says Lorena Aranda, a nutritionist.

Obesity worldwide is escalating and without urgent action to prevent and treat it, the annual medical bill for dealing with its consequences could reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, the World Obesity Federation said ahead of World Obesity Day on Wednesday.

TRT World’s Alasdair Baverstock reports from Mexico City.