Obesity in Mexico: prevalence, comorbidities, associations with patient outcomes, and treatment experiences

Abstract

Objective

The goal of this study is to investigate obesity and its concomitant effects including the prevalence of comorbidities, its association with patient-reported outcomes and costs, and weight loss strategies in a sample of Mexican adults.

Methods

Mexican adults (N=2,511) were recruited from a combination of Internet panels and street intercepts using a random-stratified sampling framework, with strata defined by age and sex, so that they represent the population. Participants responded to a survey consisting of a range of topics including sociodemographics, health history, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity, health care resource use, and weight loss.

Results

The sample consisted of 50.6% male with a mean age of 40.7 years (SD=14.5); 38.3% were overweight, and 24.4% were obese. Increasing body mass index (BMI) was associated with increased rates of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and hypertension, poorer HRQoL, and decreased work productivity. Of the total number of respondents, 62.2% reported taking steps to lose weight with 27.6% and 17.1% having used an over-the-counter/herbal product and a prescription medication, respectively. Treatment discontinuation rates were high.

Conclusion

Findings indicated that 62% of participants reported, at least, being overweight and that they were experiencing the deleterious effects associated with higher BMI despite the desire to lose weight. Given the rates of obesity, and its impact on humanistic and societal outcomes, improved education, prevention, and management could provide significant benefits.

Keywords:

• obesity
• quality of life
• costs
• treatment patterns
• weight loss

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Novo Nordisk.

Disclosure

At the time of this study, Marco D DiBonaventura and Allison Ehrenreich were employees of Kantar Health, which conducted the National Health and Wellness Survey. Marco D DiBonaventura and Allison Ehrenreich received funding to analyze and develop the manuscript from Novo Nordisk. Henrik Meincke, Agathe Le Lay, Janine Fournier, and Erik Bakker are employees of Novo Nordisk. The authors report no other conflict of interest in this work.