Mexico–United States Migration and the Prevalence of Obesity: A Transnational Perspective

Country of birth and length of stay in the United States have proven to be strong predictors of obesity among Mexican-Americans,1 suggesting the U.S. environment may be distinctively “obesogenic.”2 For example, a 12 ounce bottle of American Coca-Cola has 240 calories with 65 grams of sugar, while Mexican Coca-Cola has 150 calories per 12 ounce bottle with 39 grams of sugar (the former is made from high-fructose corn syrup).3,4 However, there is also evidence that immigrants are resistant to these influences: growth in BMI is slower among immigrants than among U.S.-born Mexican-Americans.5 Studies have yet to examine the relationship between migration and obesity in transnational perspective, including comparisons with the Mexican source population to help identify patterns distinctive to the U.S.