Elevated body weight in Mexico: Structural drivers, policy challenges, and the limits of health policy reform

Mexico has one of the world's highest prevalence rates of elevated body weight among adults, with more than one-third of children and adolescents also affected. These patterns create major challenges for life expectancy, healthcare system sustainability, and long-term economic productivity. This article examines current patterns of elevated body weight in Mexico and their links with chronic disease. It explores the sociohistorical, political-economic, and cultural factors that have shaped these trends and critically evaluates President Claudia Sheinbaum's Healthy Republic Plan as a policy framework for addressing the structural drivers of elevated body weight.