A Nasty, Nafta-Related Surprise: Mexico’s Soaring Obesity

New York Times ^ | DEC. 11, 2017 | ANDREW JACOBS and MATT RICHTEL

[nickcarraway]

Few predicted when Mexico joined the free-trade deal that it would transform the country in a way that would saddle millions with diet-related illnesses.

William Ruiz Sánchez spends his days grilling burgers and slathering fried hot dogs with pepperoni and cheese at his family’s restaurant. Refrigerators and fire-engine red tables provided by Coca-Cola feature the company’s logo in exchange for exclusive sale of its drinks.

Though members of the Ruiz family sometimes eat here, they more often grab dinner at Domino’s or McDonald’s. For midday snacks, they buy Doritos or Cheetos at Oxxo, a convenience store chain so ubiquitous here that nutritionists and health care advocates mockingly refer to the city as San Cristóbal de las Oxxos.

The family’s experience in food service began in the 1960s, when Mr. Ruiz’s grandmother sold tamales and home-cooked food made with produce from a nearby farm; those same ingredients sustained her boys with vegetable stews, beans, tortillas and eggs. Meat was a luxury.

Since then, the Ruizes have become both consumers and participants in an extraordinary transformation of the country’s food system, one that has saddled them and millions of other Mexicans with diet-related illnesses.

It is a seismic shift that some nutritionists say has an underappreciated cause: free trade.

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[Jeff Chandler]

This is our fault isn’t it?

[Right Wing Assault]

Make Mexico less obese again, kill NAFTA!

[exDemMom]

Ditch Nafta, make Mexico thin again!

Actually, I thought the obesity was caused by the fact that Mexican food is absolutely the best food in the world.

[dontreadthis]

post picture of Sgt Garcia

[irishjuggler]

slathering fried hot dogs with pepperoni and cheese

That sounds... kinda delicious.

[LIConFem]

I thought global warming was making people fat. Or was it starving them to death. Can never the that straight.

[morphing libertarian]

I read an article 20 years or so ago. Them combination of beans and rice had an extra beneficial effect on health and that was why Mexicans were less obese and had better cardio health than the US.

[DIRTYSECRET]

I do believe beans and rice together make up a complete protein. Something’ bout’ amino acids. Mexicans are more than fat. They’re lazy. Food is very cheap these days.

[Electric Graffiti]

Indians get fat when they eat fast food and drink beer? Who knew? /s

[This_Dude]

I spend a LOT of time in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. I have family there and live within 200 paces of the border in Brownsville. Those people are way more gordo than us, generally speaking. Their fast food is as good as ours at about half the cost, ish. Chips, sodas, etc. are phenomenally cheap, think 65 cents or so for a 1 liter. I can get a double bacon cheeseburger for about $2 with fries and a big soda, and $1 more will get a medium milkshake with 1 refill. Mexican grocery stores are quite a sight and their food is generally amazing.

[lee martell]

Whenever I go to a local Jack In The Box, which employs mostly hispanic, I have to make sure I clearly state “No Quiero Queso!” I do not want any cheese!
Otherwise, they will put one or two slices on it, without even asking you first. Then, I must check it before I drive away. Sometimes they reflexively put the cheese on my burger after I said I didn’t want it.

Many, if not most spanish culture entres’ revolve around cheese or dairy; Quesadillas being another one.
Desserts too. There is one popular cake called “Tres-Leche-Cake. This cake is made with three layers, Cake, filling and topping. There are four kinds of milk in the filling and topping recipe; whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. In addition to heavy cream. Not a cake I would choose for myself, too rich. Still very popular.

[nickcarraway]

[rrrod]

Fat Mexican alert!!

[DCBryan1]

Fat Mexican alert!!

Si?!

[Clutch Martin]

Viva el SAD (Standard American Diet)!

[samtheman]

I thought global warming was making people fat. Or was it starving them to death. Can never the that straight.
—
And further complicated by the fact that global warming causes global cooling and the wind blows stronger when there’s a President Trump.

[LIConFem]

"And further complicated by the fact that global warming causes global cooling and the wind blows stronger when there’s a President Trump."

Yeah, but can a transgender illegal alien still get government cheese?

[buffyt]

Nothing new, always fat .