Diabetes in Mexico: Coca-Cola or Genetic Disposition?

The "name on a can" promotion has been a success in Mexico

There is a saying that Mexican Coca-Cola is better tasting than the American one. I don't know if it's true or not, but for many doctors and health experts, Coca-Cola and other types of sugary treats are the cause of the high number of cases of Diabetes in Mexico.

Diabetes is the number 2 leading cause of death in Mexico, with 80,000 deaths per year. A short time ago, Mexico became the country with over 100 million people with the highest rate of obesity in the world.

One of the leading factors is the diet. As cities grew and people started to eat in fast-food restaurants and small restaurants, sodas became more and more popular. Today, Mexico is the country with the highest consumption per capita of soft drinks in the world. At 728 8-oz servings per capita, Mexico stands far from the second (Chile, 460) and third (US 403) places.

To most doctors, this is enough to explain Mexico's high rate of diabetes. However, a new study by the Stanford School of Medicine claims that genetics play an important role on chronic conditions. In specific, the report claims that Mexicans have a genetic disposition towards diabetes.

So, is it the diet, the disposition, or both? In any case, I'm sad to say that I don't believe that anything is going to change soon.

Want to know more? Read about the joint efforts of the Mexican Institute of Geriatrics and the University of Southern California.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical tourism, and living in Mexico.

If you're considering traveling to Mexico for healthcare or retiring in Mexico, you may want to  get yourself a copy of The English's Speaker's Guide to Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico in order to find a good doctor or hospital in the main towns and cities of Mexico, or The English Speaker's Guide to Medical Care in Mexico, to understand how the Mexican healthcare system works.