Why Nutrition and Sustainability

WHY NUTRITION AND SUSTAINABILITY ?

Sustainability Plans are intended to tackle a wide array of issues and attempt to bring balance between social, economic, and environmental factors. Sustainability is not exclusively about saving the environment; it is about sustaining an entire community, and that is why public health should be incorporated into these action plans.

WHAT IS OBESITY?

According to the National Institutes of Health (USA), Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what's considered healthy for his or her height.

Obesity occurs over time when you eat more calories than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Obese people, who consume more calories than they need, may suffer from the subnutrition aspect of malnutrition if their diet lacks the nutrients their body needs for good health.

The WHO definition is:

* a BMI (Body max index,  obtained through weight (kg) / [height (m)]2 )  greater than or equal to 25 is overweight.

* a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity.

Facts about obesity:

* Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths (WHO).

* In 2011, more than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight (WHO).

* Almost one-third of adult Mexicans, 32.8 per cent, are obese compared to 31.8 per cent of Americans (FAO).

* More than 28% of children between 5 and 9, and 38% of preteens and teenagers ages 10 to 19, are overweight or obese (Mexican Social Security Institute).

* Mexico`s Nutrition : According to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 32.8 percent of Mexican citizens are considered obese, claiming the title over the United States with 31.8 percent. Meanwhile, Mexico has experienced a three-fold increase in rates of obesity and...