Obese Mexican solider returns to duty

A Mexican court has ruled that an obese soldier, who was fired for being obese, should be allowed to return to duty.

The court upheld that although the army should still be able to cut the contracts of overweight soldiers, the sacking was unwarranted in this particular case.

Mexico has some of the highest obesity levels in the world. Obesity there has tripled since the 1980s and 70% of adults are overweight. In January, President Felipe Calderon said that the country has the largest proportion of overweight people in the world, overtaking the US.

The Mexican police force has traditionally been affected by weight problems. In Mexico City, 2,000 police offers are currently undergoing anti-obesity training. They are receiving counselling and sticking to strict diets, that limit their calorie intake to 2,400 calories per day.

Obesity was once seen as a sign of wealth in Mexico, but can now be seen as a sign of poverty as well, the United Nations says. However, in rural regions, many are still underweight and malnourished rather than over-nourished. Poverty is still rife in many parts of the country. Around 80% of schools do not have drinking water.

A similar problem in America

In America, ex-army generals have warned that obesity could be a threat to the nation’s security in the future. Retired army general, Brigadier General Gillespie, said: "The nation's waistline is bulging, and the pool of healthy and qualified recruits is shrinking. We need to pass this child nutrition bill in order to get out in front of this problem before it further damages our nation's security.”

More than 9 million young American adults are too overweight to join the army.

Overcoming obesity

A healthy diet is the best way to overcome obesity and achieve weight loss. In Mexico, part of the problem is that meals are often high in saturated fat. Avoiding fat is a key part of losing weight.