Weight Watcher: Chavez takes on obesity

A sizable man himself, some might argue that Hugo Chavez is an unlikely ambassador for lean living. However, few topics escape the president's attention, and his own considerable girth has not prevented him from commenting on Venezuela's expanding waistbands.  

The average Venezuelan has risen from to . And obesity is a growing trend across Latin America in general. Unlike Asian countries, where the indigenous diet of fresh vegetables and little meat is threatened by American imports of fizzy drinks, processed meat and fast food chains, the Latin American problem is ostensibly a double-edged sword. 

Favourite snacks across the continent include deep-fried delicacies such as chinceron (pork fat), double fried enchilladas, empenandas and other carb-heavy creations. Add to this the increasing Americanisation of national pallettes -