By Lara Holmes

This is a pilot program to promote exercise and dance and thus combat being overweight and obese, Mauricio Hernandez Undersecretary of Health told reporters.

This program is part of a Mexican government initiative called Five Steps that seeks to promote healthy eating and exercise in a country where obesity and being overweight are considered a public health problem.

 

The dance classes will be taught on an experimental basis in 50 public schools in junior high and, if successful in the 2012 school year they will be extended to the 250,000 schools across the country, said Hernandez.

 

The dance music that the children will dance to was recorded by a group of teenagers and the lyrics of the songs have to do with eating habits, to learn how to eat healthy while dancing, he said.

The authorities plan to launch choreography competitions among students so that videos are recorded and submitted to a contest on a website.

According to official figures, 40% of adults in Mexico are overweight and 30% obese, while children five to eleven years are overweight and obesity affects between 26% and 30% adolescents.

Since 2010, health authorities and education in Mexico adopted a series of standards that force schools to sell healthier snacks and low-calorie snacks.