PRESS
RELEASE

Additional
Information:

Globesity: The
Crisis of Growing
Proportions
(Perspectives
in Health
magazine)

Obesity a Serious Problem in the USA's Latino Community

Washington, DC, March 10, 2004 (PAHO)—The Latino community of the United States is one of the most affected by obesity, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

"I can tell you that the Latino community – of all communities in the United States - is one of the most affected sectors by the epidemic of obesity," said PAHO Deputy Director Dr. Joxel Garcia said in an interview.

Moreover, obesity is also a growing problem in other nations of the Western Hemisphere. "I have data showing that in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay more than 15 percent of their population is considered obese," Garcia said. In the United States, that figure fluctuates between 20 percent and 25 percent.

In recent years the problem of obesity has moved beyond the Latino community, becoming a growing problem in the United States and cutting across cultural and ethnic lines.

According to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths caused by a poor diet and lack of physical activity jumped by 33 per cent between 1990 and 2000. In addition, obesity could soon replace tobacco as the USA's No. 1 cause of preventable deaths.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "Americans need to understand that overweight and obesity are literally killing us."

"To know that poor eating habits and inactivity are on the verge of surpassing tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in America should motivate all Americans to take action to protect their health," the HHS secretary added.

Garcia pointed out that from 10 percent to 30 percent of all the obesity cases seen in the United States are related to genetics. However, there are two key factors that have contributed to the growth in obesity: Growing physical inactivity and changes in dietary and cultural habits.

"If obesity were just a matter of how people look, it would not be an issue; then it would just be a matter of preference," the PAHO official said. "But the problem with obesity is all the diseases for which it increases risks, including diabetes, hypertension and some cancers that are associated with obesity."

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the world's oldest public health organization. PAHO works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of people of the Americas. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO). PAHO Member States today include all 35 countries in the Americas. France, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are Participating States. Portugal and Spain are Observer States, and Puerto Rico is an Associate Member.

For more information:

• Obesity and Poverty: A New Public Health Challenge
• Nutrition, Health, and Child Development : Research Advances and Policy Recommendations