[Nutritional status of Mexican women]

The available epidemiological information of nutrition status of Mexican women at reproductive age is presented. The consulted sources were The National Nutrition Survey and The National Survey of Chronic Diseases and three local surveys performed in open populations (Urban Nutrition Survey), one performed in San Luis Potosí, one in Merída, Yucatán and one performed in a specific zone in Mexico City (delegación Alvaro Obregón). All surveys included the evaluation of women at reproductive age and registered in a direct form weight and height to calculate the body mass index (BMI), however, they did not use the same criteria to define low weight, overweight and obesity. Even with these limitations, the different studies showed that while to some populations stratums, problems related to insufficient feeding persist (close to 29% with a BMI < 20.1), according to The National Nutrition Survey), for most of the women in reproductive age overweight and obesity are a serious health problem (40.7% of women between 20 to 49 years old have a BMI > or = 27.3), according to The National Survey of Chronic Diseases. Information of the risk increment to present hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus in overweight and obese women is shown.