Albeit not by much. :/

Mexico Knocks Out United States As World's Fattest Nation

I wanted to post this as "We're Number Two!", but you beat me to it. That's what I get for staying up until seven on cracked.com.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I don't know but suspect Mexico's alcoholism rate is higher as well and am not surprised. This is my take on it. If you want to see virtually an entire population of gravidly obese people, visit a Southwestern U.S. indian reservation. In particular, visit the Pima, Maricopa and Hopi nations. We are talking here about 300 pound 13 year olds all over the place. Diagnosed diabetes rates at > 50% of the entire population and that doesn't count the undiagnosed cases, which Indian Health Service believes would put the figure much higher. An entire INDUSTRY of kidney dialysis units established to serve these populations, paid for by US.
Now go look at the historical photographs of these same people taken around the turn of the century by H.R. Voth and others. You see a slim, lithe, healthy population, still eating it's traditional diet.
Take a population that has spent thousands of years adapting to a diet rich in wild and some domesticated plants supplemented with wild seasonal game and in just a generation or two radically change that age-old diet to one of a steady supply of domesticated beef and pork and their rendered fat, refined sugar and white flour. A body that is evolutionarily prepared to store fat easily in anticipation of lean times that suddenly doesn't have lean times anymore is a body that gets fat and stays that way. Add to that the biologically unknown component of processed alcohol and you have a recipe for disaster.
I use the indian model because the vast majority of the Mexican population, even though it's not "cool" to claim to be part indian like it is in this country, is in fact largely indigenous. La Raza is mainly indio, with the addition of european genetics.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Alan Alda did a scientific america episode about them and mentioned a band of pima's that went down into Mexico copper canyon area and stayed. They are still like you describe them in the early 20th century -no govt flour and lard to nake Fry bread out of -- also the river on the rez was cut off from them and they could no longer grow food like they had for centuries

I recently attended a funeral in the D/FW area for a Mexican friend of mine. One thing I noticed right away was the number of huge young people in attendance. Some of these guys must weigh at least 350 to 400 pounds and none of them were taller than five foot ten inches.

I thought perhaps it was just a style or something. On odd style from my perspective, but if that's what they find cool....

I mentioned to a friend that lives in the area and he said he had noticed it starting about 15 years ago.

I spend a lot of time in Austin and I do not see this sort of thing among Mexicans living there. In fact many are thin and in very good shape.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Many more school children of alien families are obiese in the dallas ft worth -and any other metro area I notice, but mainly boys. Its looked at as healthy-- and guys that worked in shops I did would argue til blue in the face that a normal weight kid was NOT. They deny diabeties and the problems PERIOD. The kid has to be a little fat faced chubber --or he is not healthy. There's no getting thru to them what they are doing.

This.
Traditionally, being a Panzón (big belly) is a sign of wealth and prosperity, as in colonial times only the rich could afford to be fat. Keep in mind that Mexico's middle class is a late 20th century phenomenon. A guy having a beer belly is still considered sexy to lots of Mexican women. For men, Rubens type women are viewed as more fertile, and lotsa babies is also a sign of prosperity. Old attitudes die long, lingering deaths. The connection between diet and health among latin Americans and indians is only recently coming to their collective attention.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

NOW you're "stereotyping". Girth has been a universal sign of success and wealth. It's not limited to any culture.
Europeans? Think "Sinterclaus", Henry the 8th, Louis the 14th,etc.
Asian? Buddha.
All the Hindu gods are depicted as corpulent.
Polynesian/Samoans celebrate their size.
Extraterrestrial? Jabba the Hut.
I can't think of too many of the Mediterranean area rulers being depicted as of the "lean and hungry" persuasion.

(anybody else I managed to not insult?)

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

There is hope for me yet. Y me gusta latinas. I'm guessing short and bald aren't usually turn-ons though.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I don't mind the short part but bald senoritas definitely don't rank high on my list. Oh! You meant YOU, never mind.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

So I can eat a bit more, gain a few pounds and look attractive to the women there. Only, I am not going for fertile women who are more sought after. That means, a fatter version of me can pick up on the desperate, infertile women that are looking for a man who displays a sign of wealth and prosperity?

Where is my ticket agent, as they would say.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Depends on where they would be bald at. Below the neck? Absolutely.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow