It is well known to all that obesity in Mexico is a health problem that has increased in recent years. Childhood obesity is also an issue which has taken special interest in recent days. According to the national survey of health and nutrition of 2006, in Mexico, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children between 5 and 11 years of age was 26% which represents around 4,158,800 school children at the national level with overweight or obesity. . todoennutricion. org/nutrition/pdf/ensanut2006. PDF. Obesity is defined as the result of an imbalance between intake and energy expenditure.
While both genetic and environmental factors are among the causes of overweight and obesity, it has observed that the increase in the rate of childhood obesity is correlated with change in eating habits and physical activity decreased. I.e., the children of today, have increased their consumption of foods high in calories, saturated fats and sugars and have a more sedentary lifestyle than the children before, especially in the cities. But beyond the alarming numbers, the reality is that obesity is not well seen in the society in which we live. A chubby child may be subjected to ridicule and stigmatization from their peers, children in school often put them nicknames or relegate them in group games. It has observed that as a result of obesity, children may present behaviours of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, among other psychological consequences. Studies show that children with obesity are less accepted and rejected more than non-obese children (Mahoney, J & Lord, H, 2005) in addition, children with obesity are likely to be victims of bullying or bullying. Other studies indicate that children from 3 years of age show a negative perception regarding obesity and this remains throughout childhood (Mahoney, J & Lord, H, 2005). And on the other hand, overweight children show greater difficulty for thick motor activities, so it sometimes they themselves avoid participating in such activities. Wendy Ward-Begnoche and Suzanne Speaker within his article: youth overweight: changing behaviors that are barriers to health, published in The Journal of Family Practice (2006), discussed some of the obstacles to lose weight, as family members: is common to the parents of overweight children to evade the situation and perceive his son as a child with a normal weight when it is not.