Obesity is a public health problem in Yucatan, and recent figures show an upward trend. According to the Epidemiological Bulletin of the Ministry of Health, in week 7 of 2025, 320 new cases were detected in the state, reaching a total of 1,900 diagnoses in these first months of the year.
This data represents an increase compared to the same period in 2024, when 1,755 cases were recorded.
The Bulletin of the Ministry of Health also points out that obesity affects women more. Of the total diagnoses registered until February 15 of this year, 1,315 correspond to women and 585 to men. In 2024, 2,452 cases were detected in men and 4,554 in women.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut), more than 70% of the adult population in Yucatan is overweight or obese, placing the state among the top places nationwide in this condition.
This situation is relevant, experts say, since obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, which are the main causes of death in the state, according to federal government data.
The problem also affects the child and youth population. Data from the same survey revealed that 35.6% of Yucatecan children between 5 and 11 years of age are overweight or obese.
Among adolescents, obesity is also present in 19.1% of young people between 12 and 19 years of age, which is equivalent to almost two out of 10.
Nutritionist Felipe Maldonado Vázquez attributed the increase in obesity cases to various factors, including excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods rich in fat, sugar, and sodium, as well as a sedentary lifestyle.
Maldonado Vázquez points out that limited access to quality food is also a determining factor, ensuring that families find it cheaper to buy fast food or industrialized products than fresh and nutritious foods.
He also highlighted that the differences in diagnoses between men and women could be due to physiological, sociocultural, and psychological factors that influence body weight.
To address this problem, the specialist recommended promoting the consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and legumes, as well as reducing the intake of processed foods.
TYT Newsroom
