Mexico school obesity alarm

Mexico’s school health campaign says about four in 10 primary-school students screened so far are living with overweight or obesity. (proceso.com.mx) The figure comes from “Vive Saludable, Vive Feliz,” a federal program launched in March 2025 to screen children in public primary schools for weight, vision, dental health and other risks. By March 12, 2026, officials said the program had evaluated 9.1 million children in 75,000 schools. (imss.gob.mx) The same update said more than 600,000 primary-school students had already been referred to clinics or medical units through the program. Earlier progress reports showed 7.65 million students screened by December 2025 and 8.3 million by February 2026. (proceso.com.mx) (razon.com.mx) Mexico has dealt with high child obesity rates for years. UNICEF said in September 2025 that 36.5% of school-age children and 40.4% of adolescents in Mexico had overweight or obesity. (unicef.org) A separate UNICEF case study put the burden in similar range for children ages 5 to 11, citing rates above 35% nationally and above 40% for some groups in Mexico City. The World Health Organization says obesity in children is measured by body-mass index for age, using growth standards rather than adult cutoffs. (unicef.org) (who.int) The school campaign is tied to a broader policy push on food sold on campus. Federal education authorities published rules for all schools in the national education system covering how food and drinks can be prepared, distributed and sold, alongside requirements to promote healthier eating. (educacionbasica.sep.gob.mx) UNICEF said Mexico recently banned the sale and distribution of ultra-processed foods and products high in salt, sugar and fat in public schools, linking the move to the country’s high rates of childhood obesity. The federal healthy-living program also says it is designed to reduce risks tied to diabetes and hypertension later in life. (unicef.org) (vidasaludable.gob.mx) Officials now say the screenings will expand beyond primary schools. In March 2026, Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the program would be extended to public middle and high schools after its first year in primary grades. (proceso.com.mx)