Dr. Simon Barquera is a MD (UAM, Mexico City) with graduate MS and PhD degrees in Nutrition Epidemiology (Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston). He is president of the Nutrition Board of Professors and Director of the Nutrition Policy Research Division at the National Institute of Public Health, where he is leader of the Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease research line (2015-). He has published more than 251 research papers and chapters and has 6,265 citations to his work. He is associate editor of Public Health Nutrition and editorial board member of Global Health Epidemiology and Genomics. He is co-investigator of the Mexican Health and Nutrition Surveys (1999-2016), Member of the Ministry of Health Chronic Diseases advisory board, the PAHO Expert Group on sodium reduction, the World Obesity Federation Scientific Advisory Board and fellow of the Obesity Society. Dr Barquera has been recognized as National Investigator by the National Council of Science and Technology and fellow of the National Academy of Medicine and the Mexican Academy of Sciences. He has received the PAHO Fred L Soper award for excellence in health literature (2003), the Tufts University Nutrition Impact Award (2016), and the UAM Distinguished Alumni Award (2016).
Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertensi... more Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemias, musculoskeletal diseases, and certain types of cancer. In Mexico the prevalence of overweight and obesity is 16.7% in preschool children, 26.2% in school children, and 30.9% in adolescents. For adults, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is 39.7 and 29.9%, respectively (ENSANUT 2006). Based on an analysis of the situation in Mexico, the need for a comprehensive, multisectoral, multilevel policy and an effective coordination policy have been clearly identified to achieve changes in eating patterns and physical activity to enable the prevention of chronic diseases and to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity The combination of strategies and actions of the Mexican National Agreement for Healthy Nutrition proposed by the federal government proposes among its aims for 2012: a reversal in the prevalence of overweight and obesity for children aged 2-5 years in...
To describe the design, methods, and challenges encountered during a randomized clinical trial ai... more To describe the design, methods, and challenges encountered during a randomized clinical trial aimed to promote water intake for reducing risks of metabolic syndrome in Mexican women. In a randomized clinical trial in Cuernavaca, Mexico, overweight and obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 < 39) women, 18 - < 45 years old with an intake of sugar-sweetened beverages ≥ 250 kilocalories per day (kcal/day) were randomly allocated to the water and education provision group (n = 120) or the education provision only group (n = 120). We screened 1 756 women. The main difficulties encountered were identifying participants with the recruitment criteria, delivering water to participants, and the time demanded from the study participants. The trial's main challenges were difficulties surrounding recruitment, delivery of the intervention, and the time demanded from the study participants. Modifications were effectively implemented without jeopardizing the original protocol.
The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review of obesity interve... more The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review of obesity interventions that focused on increasing physical activity and healthy eating among overweight and obese children in Mexico. Data was taken from a larger literature review focused on obesity interventions for Latinos in Latin America and the United States. Study design suitability, quality of execution, and effect size were assessed for a subset of these articles. There were six intervention studies included in the present review. Five studies showed reductions in obesity-related outcomes, while one study reported gains in body mass index (BMI). Physical activity and healthy eating remain constant components in obesity treatment interventions, which highlights the importance of understanding evidence-based strategies to guide future research to reduce childhood obesity in Mexico.
The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify evidence-based strategies asso... more The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify evidence-based strategies associated with effective healthcare interventions for prevention or treatment of childhood obesity in Latin America. A systematic review of peer-reviewed, obesity-related interventions implemented in the healthcare setting was conducted. Inclusion criteria included: implementation in Latin America, aimed at overweight or obese children and evaluation of at least one obesity-related outcome (e.g., body mass index (BMI), z-score, weight, and waist circumference, and body fat). Five interventions in the healthcare setting targeting obese children in Latin America were identified. All five studies showed significant changes in BMI, and the majority produced sufficient to large effect sizes through emphasizing physical activity and health eating. Despite the limited number of intervention studies that treat obesity in the healthcare setting, there is evidence that interventions in this setting c...
To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexican adults ≥20 y of age, as well as t... more To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexican adults ≥20 y of age, as well as to describe its trends in the last three Mexican health surveys. A sample of 38 208 adults with anthropometric's. The classification to categorize body mass index (BMI) was the World health Organization's (WHO). To define abdominal obesity classification was used the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) data. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 71.3% (overweight 38.8% and obesity 32.4%). The prevalence of abdominal adiposity was 74.0%, being higher in women (82.8%) than in men (64.5%). Over the past 12 years the mean annualized BMI percent increase was 1.3%. This increase was higher in the 2000-2006 (1%) than in the 2006-2012 (0.3%) period. In spite of the deacceleration of the increasing prevalence, there is no evidence to infer that prevalences will decrease in the next years. Thus, public policies for obestiy prevention and control should be strengthened and improved.
To provide descriptive information on the screen time levels of Mexican children. 5 660 children ... more To provide descriptive information on the screen time levels of Mexican children. 5 660 children aged 10-18 years from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2012) were studied. Screen time (watching television, movies, playing video games and using a computer) was self-reported. On average, children engaged in 3 hours/day of screen time, irrespective of gender and age. Screen time was higher in obese children, children from the northern and Federal District regions of the country, children living in urban areas, and children in the highest socioeconomic status and education categories. Approximately 33% of 10-14 year olds and 36% of 15-18 year olds met the screen time guideline of ≤ 2 hours/day. 10-18 year old Mexican children accumulate an average of 3 hours/day of screen time. Two thirds of Mexican children exceed the recommended maximal level of time for this activity.
To describe the number of Mexican adults with undiagnosed diabetes and arterial hypertension and ... more To describe the number of Mexican adults with undiagnosed diabetes and arterial hypertension and their association with obesity. The study included a sub-sample of 6 613 subjects aged 20 years or more who participated in the 2006 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2006). Subjects with a previous diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension (n=1 861) were excluded. Prevalences and standard errors were estimated, taking into account the complex sample design. 6.4 million adults have obesity and undiagnosed impaired fasting glucose. Almost two million more have fasting glucose levels diagnostic for diabetes. As for arterial blood pressure, 5.4 million adults had prehypertension. Another 5.4 million adults had blood pressure levels suggestive of probable hypertension. A total of 21.4 million Mexican adults with obesity had at least one further component of the metabolic syndrome. A large proportion of adults with obesity-related metabolic comorbidities remains undiagnosed in Mexico.
Mexico has seen a very steep increase in child obesity level. Little is known about caloric bever... more Mexico has seen a very steep increase in child obesity level. Little is known about caloric beverage intake in this country as well as all other countries outside a few high income countries. This study examines overall patterns and trends in all caloric beverages from two nationally representative surveys from Mexico. The two nationally representative dietary intake surveys (1999 and 2006) from Mexico are used to study caloric beverage intake in 17, 215 children. The volume (ml) and caloric energy (kcal) contributed by all beverages consumed by the sample subjects were measured. Results are weighted to be nationally representative. The trends from the dietary intake surveys showed very large increases in caloric beverages among pre-school and school children. The contribution of whole milk and sugar-sweetened juices was an important finding. Mexican pre-school children consumed 27.8% of their energy from caloric beverages in 2006 and school children consumed 20.7% of their energy f...
To assess the coexistence of maternal adiposity and child stunting (CS) in Mexico, estimate its n... more To assess the coexistence of maternal adiposity and child stunting (CS) in Mexico, estimate its national prevalence and identify the associated socio-demographic factors. A secondary analysis from the Mexican Nutrition Survey 1999, a nationally representative survey, was conducted. Mother and children subsamples were matched and a total of 6225 mother/child pairs were obtained. Stunting was defined as height-for-age z-scores <-2.0. Maternal body mass index (BMI) was classified according to World Health Organization recommended cutoff points. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was calculated by dividing waist by hip circumferences. Logistic regression models were fitted to explore the coexistence of CS and maternal central adiposity (MCA) (WHR> or =0.85) while controlling for biological and socio-demographic factors. A total of 5974 pairs had complete information. MCA coexisted with CS in 6.2% of the mother/child pairs. The phenomenon was more prevalent in rural locations, in the south r...
Overweight and obesity in childhood is associated with negative physical and psychological effect... more Overweight and obesity in childhood is associated with negative physical and psychological effects. It has been proposed that obesity increase the risk for developing cognitive deficits, dementia and Alzheimer's disease and that it may be associated with marked differences in specific brain structure volumes. The purpose of this study was a neurobiopsychological approach to examine the association between overweight and obesity, brain structure and a paediatric neuropsychological assessment in Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age. We investigated the relation between the body mass index (BMI), brain volumetric segmentation of subcortical gray and white matter regions obtained with magnetic resonance imaging and the Neuropsychological Assessment of Children standardized for Latin America. Thirty-three healthy Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age, divided into normal weight (18 children) and overweight/obese (15 children) groups. Overweight/obese children showed ...
Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertensi... more Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemias, musculoskeletal diseases, and certain types of cancer. In Mexico the prevalence of overweight and obesity is 16.7% in preschool children, 26.2% in school children, and 30.9% in adolescents. For adults, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is 39.7 and 29.9%, respectively (ENSANUT 2006). Based on an analysis of the situation in Mexico, the need for a comprehensive, multisectoral, multilevel policy and an effective coordination policy have been clearly identified to achieve changes in eating patterns and physical activity to enable the prevention of chronic diseases and to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity The combination of strategies and actions of the Mexican National Agreement for Healthy Nutrition proposed by the federal government proposes among its aims for 2012: a reversal in the prevalence of overweight and obesity for children aged 2-5 years in...
To describe the design, methods, and challenges encountered during a randomized clinical trial ai... more To describe the design, methods, and challenges encountered during a randomized clinical trial aimed to promote water intake for reducing risks of metabolic syndrome in Mexican women. In a randomized clinical trial in Cuernavaca, Mexico, overweight and obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 < 39) women, 18 - < 45 years old with an intake of sugar-sweetened beverages ≥ 250 kilocalories per day (kcal/day) were randomly allocated to the water and education provision group (n = 120) or the education provision only group (n = 120). We screened 1 756 women. The main difficulties encountered were identifying participants with the recruitment criteria, delivering water to participants, and the time demanded from the study participants. The trial's main challenges were difficulties surrounding recruitment, delivery of the intervention, and the time demanded from the study participants. Modifications were effectively implemented without jeopardizing the original protocol.
The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review of obesity interve... more The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review of obesity interventions that focused on increasing physical activity and healthy eating among overweight and obese children in Mexico. Data was taken from a larger literature review focused on obesity interventions for Latinos in Latin America and the United States. Study design suitability, quality of execution, and effect size were assessed for a subset of these articles. There were six intervention studies included in the present review. Five studies showed reductions in obesity-related outcomes, while one study reported gains in body mass index (BMI). Physical activity and healthy eating remain constant components in obesity treatment interventions, which highlights the importance of understanding evidence-based strategies to guide future research to reduce childhood obesity in Mexico.
The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify evidence-based strategies asso... more The objective of this systematic literature review was to identify evidence-based strategies associated with effective healthcare interventions for prevention or treatment of childhood obesity in Latin America. A systematic review of peer-reviewed, obesity-related interventions implemented in the healthcare setting was conducted. Inclusion criteria included: implementation in Latin America, aimed at overweight or obese children and evaluation of at least one obesity-related outcome (e.g., body mass index (BMI), z-score, weight, and waist circumference, and body fat). Five interventions in the healthcare setting targeting obese children in Latin America were identified. All five studies showed significant changes in BMI, and the majority produced sufficient to large effect sizes through emphasizing physical activity and health eating. Despite the limited number of intervention studies that treat obesity in the healthcare setting, there is evidence that interventions in this setting c...
To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexican adults ≥20 y of age, as well as t... more To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Mexican adults ≥20 y of age, as well as to describe its trends in the last three Mexican health surveys. A sample of 38 208 adults with anthropometric's. The classification to categorize body mass index (BMI) was the World health Organization's (WHO). To define abdominal obesity classification was used the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) data. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 71.3% (overweight 38.8% and obesity 32.4%). The prevalence of abdominal adiposity was 74.0%, being higher in women (82.8%) than in men (64.5%). Over the past 12 years the mean annualized BMI percent increase was 1.3%. This increase was higher in the 2000-2006 (1%) than in the 2006-2012 (0.3%) period. In spite of the deacceleration of the increasing prevalence, there is no evidence to infer that prevalences will decrease in the next years. Thus, public policies for obestiy prevention and control should be strengthened and improved.
To provide descriptive information on the screen time levels of Mexican children. 5 660 children ... more To provide descriptive information on the screen time levels of Mexican children. 5 660 children aged 10-18 years from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2012) were studied. Screen time (watching television, movies, playing video games and using a computer) was self-reported. On average, children engaged in 3 hours/day of screen time, irrespective of gender and age. Screen time was higher in obese children, children from the northern and Federal District regions of the country, children living in urban areas, and children in the highest socioeconomic status and education categories. Approximately 33% of 10-14 year olds and 36% of 15-18 year olds met the screen time guideline of ≤ 2 hours/day. 10-18 year old Mexican children accumulate an average of 3 hours/day of screen time. Two thirds of Mexican children exceed the recommended maximal level of time for this activity.
To describe the number of Mexican adults with undiagnosed diabetes and arterial hypertension and ... more To describe the number of Mexican adults with undiagnosed diabetes and arterial hypertension and their association with obesity. The study included a sub-sample of 6 613 subjects aged 20 years or more who participated in the 2006 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2006). Subjects with a previous diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension (n=1 861) were excluded. Prevalences and standard errors were estimated, taking into account the complex sample design. 6.4 million adults have obesity and undiagnosed impaired fasting glucose. Almost two million more have fasting glucose levels diagnostic for diabetes. As for arterial blood pressure, 5.4 million adults had prehypertension. Another 5.4 million adults had blood pressure levels suggestive of probable hypertension. A total of 21.4 million Mexican adults with obesity had at least one further component of the metabolic syndrome. A large proportion of adults with obesity-related metabolic comorbidities remains undiagnosed in Mexico.
Mexico has seen a very steep increase in child obesity level. Little is known about caloric bever... more Mexico has seen a very steep increase in child obesity level. Little is known about caloric beverage intake in this country as well as all other countries outside a few high income countries. This study examines overall patterns and trends in all caloric beverages from two nationally representative surveys from Mexico. The two nationally representative dietary intake surveys (1999 and 2006) from Mexico are used to study caloric beverage intake in 17, 215 children. The volume (ml) and caloric energy (kcal) contributed by all beverages consumed by the sample subjects were measured. Results are weighted to be nationally representative. The trends from the dietary intake surveys showed very large increases in caloric beverages among pre-school and school children. The contribution of whole milk and sugar-sweetened juices was an important finding. Mexican pre-school children consumed 27.8% of their energy from caloric beverages in 2006 and school children consumed 20.7% of their energy f...
To assess the coexistence of maternal adiposity and child stunting (CS) in Mexico, estimate its n... more To assess the coexistence of maternal adiposity and child stunting (CS) in Mexico, estimate its national prevalence and identify the associated socio-demographic factors. A secondary analysis from the Mexican Nutrition Survey 1999, a nationally representative survey, was conducted. Mother and children subsamples were matched and a total of 6225 mother/child pairs were obtained. Stunting was defined as height-for-age z-scores <-2.0. Maternal body mass index (BMI) was classified according to World Health Organization recommended cutoff points. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was calculated by dividing waist by hip circumferences. Logistic regression models were fitted to explore the coexistence of CS and maternal central adiposity (MCA) (WHR> or =0.85) while controlling for biological and socio-demographic factors. A total of 5974 pairs had complete information. MCA coexisted with CS in 6.2% of the mother/child pairs. The phenomenon was more prevalent in rural locations, in the south r...
Overweight and obesity in childhood is associated with negative physical and psychological effect... more Overweight and obesity in childhood is associated with negative physical and psychological effects. It has been proposed that obesity increase the risk for developing cognitive deficits, dementia and Alzheimer's disease and that it may be associated with marked differences in specific brain structure volumes. The purpose of this study was a neurobiopsychological approach to examine the association between overweight and obesity, brain structure and a paediatric neuropsychological assessment in Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age. We investigated the relation between the body mass index (BMI), brain volumetric segmentation of subcortical gray and white matter regions obtained with magnetic resonance imaging and the Neuropsychological Assessment of Children standardized for Latin America. Thirty-three healthy Mexican children between 6 and 8 years of age, divided into normal weight (18 children) and overweight/obese (15 children) groups. Overweight/obese children showed ...
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