The state of Quintana Roo has the highest obesity rate in the country, which is 629 per 100,000 people, while the national parameter is 296, which is, 112% higher.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the age group with the highest incidence is that of people between 45 and 49 years of age, 1,300 per 100,000; these are followed by older adults, young people from 20 to 24 years old, teenagers from 15 to 19 years old, and infants.
In the first quarter of 2022, 5,691 cases of obesity have been diagnosed in the state, against 3,998 in 2021.
María Anabel Martínez Benítez, the delegation coordinator of Nursing in Public Health of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Quintana Roo, explained that due to this situation, a food education program was established to teach beneficiaries to eat well and lose weight, since an excessive rate of fat is a trigger for chronic-degenerative diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.
“If you don’t already have the disease, it can be prevented by losing weight and thus improving health. In this case, the family doctor or nurse can refer them to the nutrition service and follow up on weight control,” she said.
It was indicated that in all the Family Medicine Units (FMU) banners were installed that contain information on the diets that are recommended to maintain a balanced diet. “They have a QR code that when you download gives you a plan with the calories you require,” she said.
She invited the population to get to know the IMSS family medicine services and use them.
“Only 20% of the population request preventive care, we invite all citizens to go to the modules,” concluded María Anabel Martínez Benítez, the delegation coordinator of Nursing in Public Health of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Quintana Roo.
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