Expert Speaks Out Against Mexican Diet, Sedentary Lifestyle, Calls for Mandatory Health Screenings

In an effort to fight he is referring to as a heart disease "epidemic," one expert is calling on the Mexican government to implement mandatory screening of all of the nation's 18 year olds.

Dr. Enrique C. Morales Villegas, director of the Cardiometabolic Research Center in Aguascalientes, Mexico, says he's proposed making certain health measurements, such as cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index, mandatory every three years. Such screening could be done inexpensively in schools and shopping centers, Villegas said.

Mexico's mortality from heart disease and diabetes rose by almost 10 percent between 2009 to 2010, with the latest Mexican National Survey of Health and Nutrition reporting that 73 percent of women, 69 percent of men and 35 percent of adolescents are overweight or obese.

"The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexico is one of the highest in the world and the problem is increasing in all age groups," Villegas said in a statement. "Obesity begins in childhood and persists into adolescence and adulthood."

Diabetes rates have seen a similar increase, with and adult prevalence of between 14 and 16 percent.

An average of 31 percent of Mexican adults suffer from hypertension, with levels increasing with age. In all, some two-thirds of those aged 71 suffer from the condition.

Finally, an average of 40 percent of Mexicans have high levels of LDL, commonly known as the "bad" kind of cholesterol. 

Food and lifestyle are to blame, Villegas says, both of which are deeply embedded with the Mexican way of life.

"The Mexican diet is more dangerous than fast food chains. It's a combination of fried food, junk food and soft drinks," he said. "The philosophy of life is around comfort. People eat too much and everyday they watch 4 hours of TV, spend 2 hours at the computer and do less than 10 minutes of physical activity."