Early feeding patterns among Mexican babies: findings from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey and implications for health and obesity prevention

In the last few decades, Latin American countries have experienced dramatic increases in childhood overweight and obesity rates [1] due to a rapid shift in the composition of the diet, which may be due, in part, to rapid urbanization [2]. In Mexico, the national health and nutrition surveys over the past 24 years have shown a marked nutrition transition characterized by a steady decline in child undernutrition and a consistent increase in overweight and obesity at alarming rates in all age groups [3] with the highest reported rates of change in obesity prevalence in the world [4]. Among Mexican children, overweight and obesity rates increased from 26.9 % in 1999 to 34.4 % in 2012 among 5- to 11-year-olds and overweight increased from 7.8 % in 1988 to 9.0 % in 2012 in children under age 5 years [3]. This small albeit important increase in the prevalence of overweight in Mexico's youngest children contributes to the growing recognition that early childhood provides the best opportunity for addressing obesity prevention [5].