Aguascalientes, Mexico - An expert on cardiovascular disease says that the Mexican diet - more dangerous than fast-food - combined with a sedentary lifestyle is the main cause of Mexico's obesity epidemic.

Dr. Enrique C. Morales Villegas, director of the Cardiometabolic Research Center in Aguascalientes, Mexico, said the Mexican diet is more dangerous than eating at fast-food chains, because it is a combination of fried food, junk food, and soft drinks.

"The philosophy of life is around comfort. People eat too much and every day they watch four hours of TV, spend 2 hours at the computer, and do less than ten minutes of physical activity," Morales said in a statement.

Morales is calling for mandatory screening of 18-year-old Mexicans to halt the cardiovascular disease epidemic plaguing the nation.

Fried plantains and cream are another big selling item among the Mexican food vendors

"I have proposed to the Mexican government that 18-year-olds should have obligatory measurements of glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index, with repeat assessment every three years. Screening could be done in schools, shopping centers, and other public places and if an abnormality is found a strategy should be in place to treat it. This would be easy and inexpensive, and I am waiting for the response from the Mexican government."

The latest Mexican National Survey of Health and Nutrition reveals that 73 percent of women, 69 percent of men, and 35 percent of adolescents are overweight or obese.

"The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Mexico's men, women, and children is one of the highest in the world and the problem is increasing in all age groups. Obesity begins in childhood and persists into adolescence and adulthood. It is not just an aesthetic problem, it's a profound health problem and the consequences are diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia, or high blood lipids," Morales said, "all known cardiometabolic risk factors."

Diabetes is highest in Mexico City, Mexico State, Nuevo Leon, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Durango, and San Luis Potosi. "These states have a high prevalence of obesity and a high fat diet which explains the amount of diabetes," said Dr. Morales.

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in Mexico rose by 9.5 percent in just one year, from 189,000 in 2009 to 207,000 in 2010.

"Part of the reason for the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Mexico is that we have low detection," said Morales. "Just 50 percent of people with diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolaemia know they have it. Of those who do know, only 50 percent receive treatment. And of those treated, just 50 percent reach their treatment goals. At the end of the day just 12.5 percent of people with cardiovascular risk factors have it detected, treated, and controlled."