A Development-Focused and Empowerment Model to Combat Childhood Obesity among Public School Students in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México: A Qualitative Study

摘要

Significant environmental and behavioral changes, caused by urbanization, modernization and economic development, are highly related a food and nutritional crisis, which has triggered an unprecedented increase in obesity and overweight among Mexican school-age children. The objective of this qualitative study is to gain a better understanding of personal, interpersonal and political factors that contribute to the high incidence of obesity among school-age children, and to identify strategies that may help prevent these problems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four school principals, six classroom teachers, four physical education instructors and six members of the cafeteria staff in eight public schools in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Findings suggest that the public schools included in this study are not adhering to policies aimed at promoting the consumption of healthful foods and beverages. Allowing mothers of school children to become food vendors in the public schools has hindered the schools' ability to control what food products are consumed by children. This article describes the current De Facto model used in Monterrey public schools to deal with the problem of childhood obesity and proposes a new development-focused and empowerment model to more effectively deal with it. Finally, the article examines the symbolism associated with food and eating in Mexican culture.