Malnutrition/obesity

Malnutrition and obesity are also common problems related to diet and exercise in the region.  A high percentage of children between the ages of five and eleven are overweight (18.8% of boys and 19.6% of girls),[1] suggesting that in the future weight problems in adults will be even more severe, resulting in an increase in illness related to obesity.  Currently, Baja California Sur is ranked second in the nation in obesity,[2] likely due to factors that include high calorie diets associated with fast food, a rise in recent years of bottled soda consumption,[3] reduction in community levels of physical activity, and an increase in sedentary lifestyles.

Preventative measures are the best method for combating obesity, which could include: promoting physical activity and a reduced calorie diet, most notably for schoolchildren and adolescents who are in the process of defining their activity and dietary habits; distributing information to communities about obesity and associated chronic diseases; regulating public sector promotion of high calorie foods; and enacting strategies to help identify risk factors and encourage early diagnosis of illnesses related to obesity.

Poverty is a major factor in malnutrition.  Nationwide, 30% of children between the ages of one and five from poor households have moderate to severe malnutrition, while only 5% of children in the same age range from homes with higher incomes are malnourished. 

In Baja California Sur, problems related to malnutrition and obesity are mainly concentrated in urban areas.[4] The municipality with the highest malnutrition index for children is La Paz and the lowest index corresponds to Mulegé. In 2003, nutritional deficiencies occupied the seventh highest cause of mortality in the child population less than five years of age.

Tending to this public health concern, the Integral Family Development (DIF) agency in each municipality works to abate malnutrition and poor dietary habits through two primary programs:  “Attention to Children Under Four” and “School Breakfast.” Nonprofits focused on education have also adopted the school breakfast program in various urban areas to enhance learning potential in young students.

Source:  State Government of BCS, V Informe de Gobierno 2003-2004, Lic. Leonel Cota Montaño, tomo II, p. 36.