56
Adults
In addition to the behavior acquired at an earlier age,
a series of risk factors in adulthood, such as obesi-
ty, physical inactivity and alcohol and cigarette con-
sumption, contribute to the development of chronic
illnesses including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases,
chronic respiratorydiseases, hypertensionand certain
types of cancer (ss, 2012b).
Approximatelyeight out of tenMexicanmen
and sevenout of tenMexicanwomenare
overweight or obese
Obesity isa leadingmodifiableriskfactor.TheBodyMass
Index (bmi) is themost often usedmeasure for identi-
fying this condition.Mexicanmenandwomenhave the
highest increase inbmi asmeasuredbyoverweight, obe-
sityandmorbidobesity. Indeed,71.3%ofMexicanmen
were in these three categories in 2004-2005, rising
to 78.7% in 2012-2013. The percentage of Mexican
women in these categories increased from 65.5% to
72.2%. As a result, in 2012-2013Mexicanmenwere
thegroupwith thehighest ratesofoverweightandobe-
sity, whileMexican women had a rate lower only than
thatofAfricanAmericans (Figure40).
Migrants incorporate new foods from the coun-
tryof destination into their diets, butMexicansdonot
usually undergo a drastic change in diet after migra-
tion. Yet some studieshave shown that, although they
continue to consume typical foods from their national
cuisine, they also incorporate new foods that are high
in concentrated sugar and saturated fats (Arenas
et
al.
, 2013; Popkin, 2006).
The percentage of theMexican populationwho
are overweight and obese is higher among long-term
residents (77%) than recent arrivals (68%). This re-
flects themigrants’ diet in the receivingcountry, condi-
tionsof socioeconomic integrationandhigher average
age of longer-resident migrants. RecentMexican arri-
vals display higher rates of overweight and obesity
thanadecadeago (sevenoutof ten, previouslysixout
of ten), which can partly be explained by the higher
averageweight in the countryof origin (Figure41).
Continue...
Figure40. Populationover age18 living in theUnitedStates, by bmi Category*,
basedon regionof originandethnicityor race, 2004-2005and2012-2013
migration & health •
mexican immigrants in the us: a 10 year perspective
