McAllen, Texas, is identified as the world's most obese city due to a confluence of factors including an overwhelming density of fast food establishments, culturally ingrained overconsumption habits, and urban planning that actively discourages physical activity, leading to severe health consequences for its residents.
Mind Map
Click to expand
Click to explore the full interactive mind map • Zoom, pan, and navigate
This is Mc Allen, the most obese city in
the world. Here, nearly one in every two
people is obese, and most of the rest
live above a healthy weight. The people
we see outside are facing serious health
problems and a high risk of early death
every day.
>> As I drive, I pass one fast food place
after another 10 and 2 minutes. This
isn't urban planning. This is fast food corridor.
corridor.
>> This city is designed to fatten people
until they are so heavy that they can't
leave their beds.
>> Last time I was weighed, I was 765. My
current weight is unknown. I have not
walked out of my room outside yet.
>> People in Macallen order fast food as
often as three times a day, and the
trend isn't slowing down. Locals here
have a strong appetite for deep fried,
oily, creamy dishes. They eat almost
three times more than their body needs
every day.
>> It's 2,215 calories, and this is just
one meal. It's very common.
>> Many people drink hundreds of liters of
Coke a year instead of water. As demand
is so high, Coca-Cola operates a massive
distribution center here. We've been out
here for 20 minutes and I haven't seen a
single person walking, jogging, or
biking. Sidewalks, crossings, and bike
lanes hardly exist.
>> Walking in Mac Allen is impossible.
There's no shade, and there's no safe
way to cross.
>> We're visiting a mall to observe the
people who live in the city. There's
another brunch place. Wow.
>> There's another restaurant. It's like a
fast food trap.
>> Yeah. Yeah,
>> I've been to malls all around the world,
but I've never seen this before. Right
at the entrance of the mall, there are
motorized scooters. As you can see, some
of them have already been taken. It's
early in the morning. These are for
people who don't want to walk. Locals
level of inactivity has reached a point
where even walking through a store feels
exhausting. And this is the case all
across Macallen.
>> Again, in the entrance, you can see
motorized scooters for people who don't
want to walk.
>> Obesity is everywhere we pass through.
Huge waist lines, sagging skin, thighs
rubbing against each other. Seeing
someone within a healthy weight is
almost an exception. People are walking
slowly, struggling to carry their own weight.
weight.
>> McAllen is the most obese city. Why do
you think that is?
>> I think it's because we have a lot of
good food here, a lot of greasy foods.
>> McAllen is a small, low-income Texas
city near the Mexican border. With over
500 fast food establishments for a
population of 150,000, the fast food
density here is nearly six times the US
average. Even traditional dishes have
also been turned into high calorie meals
loaded with cheese and fried
ingredients. Brandon is a dietitian in
Macallen. What is the most common
problem your patients have?
>> Knowing how many calories are in the
food you're eating and knowing portion sizes.
sizes.
>> America is known for its oversized
portions, while in Mexico, wasting food
is considered inappropriate. McAllen,
located on the border between these two
countries, is influenced by both
cultures. People try to finish huge
portions even when they are already full.
full.
>> There are people here who eat over like
10,000 calories a day.
>> Oh yeah, for sure.
>> Alongside these cultural habits, obesity
here is also driven by urban planning
that discourages movement. This city is
built for cars. Most parts are not
located in the city center. If you leave
your house and walk, it takes about 2
hours to reach them. By car, it still
takes around 20 minutes. I think the
average is that most people spend less
than 20 minutes a day exercising. So,
very high amounts of food, very low
amounts of exercise. How many steps on
average do you take a day?
>> I don't know, man. But I I try to walk a
mile at least.
>> A mile is only 2,000 steps. Far below
the 10,000 recommended for a healthy
adult. But that goal is hard to reach
for most locals here.
>> How do they exercise with no parking?
>> Yeah, there there are parks. I think
it's hot outside, so sometimes people
just don't want to be outside.
>> With year- round heat and humidity near
90° F, outdoor exercise is even harder.
Staying active usually means paying for
a gym. In the fast food city, ads attack
your subconscious at every corner.
>> More food, more fun. This restaurant is
directly targeting parents. Some
restaurants promotions like kids eat
free actually ensures that bad dietary
habits build up early in life and stick
forever. Today in the United States,
four out of 10 children are overweight
and half of these children are expected
to become obese by the age of 35. One of
the main reasons for this is that fat
cells formed during childhood are
permanent even if weight is lost. These
cells do not disappear and continue to
send hunger signals to the brain. I
don't know if I was 11, but the scale
said 260.
>> Later in this documentary, we're also
going to see the harsh reality of being
750 lbs from one of the heaviest people
in the world.
>> I would eat and I would get full, but my
mind would tell me, "Oh, it's good. Keep going."
going."
>> Like this, right?
>> Yeah. Just like that. And this one. To
understand why obesity is all around the
city, I'll spend a day eating like a
typical local does in Macallen. I
started the day with a 390 calorie
coffee for breakfast. This is just a
quick wake me up drink for this region.
Do people consider this as a dessert or
a coffee? Coffee. And the portion size.
Is this a large portion?
>> Not too large.
>> It's 9:30. Time for breakfast. Locals
are buzzing around this place, waiting
in line for a table inside. The buttery
smell hits me the moment I walk in. A
lot of different options. If you want to
kind of get fat or get unhealthy, you
have a lot of way to go. Which one is
the most local way to go?
>> Everyone loves our big chocolate
pancakes with butter and syrup. We have
the best pancakes in the city.
>> What do we have here? Scrambled eggs
with American cheese, bacon, two
chocolate chip pancakes with butter.
Butter on each of these, which adds, you
know, extra calories.
>> Really sugary. It's a dessert. It's not
a breakfast. How many calories are these
in total? 1,00 1,200 calories in total.
>> We're here to pay. There are a lot of
snacks that you can buy here. We just
ate. Why would we need these junk foods?
It's been only 2 hours. And in Macallen,
breakfast is often followed by dessert.
Our next stop is a bakery.
>> There are no calorie counts.
>> No calorie counts here.
>> Cream filled buns, glazed donuts,
sprinkled cookies, all lined up for
people to choose from. A single cookie
like this can have 500 calories. And
most people don't stop at once.
>> The taste is very good.
>> If someone eats three, that's around
1,500 calories, almost a full day's
worth of energy. When consuming
something sugary like this, blood sugar
spikes, and the body releases insulin
hormone to bring it down. Locals usually
enjoy their pastry with a coffee. So, we
stepped into the coffee shop next door.
>> It has eight Oreos, four scoops of ice
cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce,
and four shots of espresso.
>> Do people usually order this? >> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> We have a big coffee. I'm holding half
of what most people should consume in an
entire day. This is around 920 calories.
This drink has as much sugar as 33 sugar
cubes. Eating like this frequently
doesn't just cause visible weight gain,
but it also leads to visceral fat. This
hidden fat surrounds vital organs,
posing a risk of deadly diseases.
Because I started the day with very
sugary meals. My insulin spiked and then
crashed, causing my energy to drop and
making me hungry again within an hour.
We're ordering what the locals are
having once more.
>> Can I have whatever the customer in
front of me ordered?
>> He's order number three. A large Coke,
regular fries, and a triple patty burger
with three slices of cheese. Do you want that?
that?
>> Yes, please. That was fast. At any time
of the day, fast food has its crowd
here. There are eight cars ahead of us.
>> It took like 4 minutes for us to get our
meal, and it's very accessible. This
entire menu is equal to 2,250 calories.
>> It's a common combo. Very few people
will have like a burger without fries or
without a coke.
>> We are heading into the supermarkets in
town before cooking dinner like a local.
We came here to get some ingredients.
The products on the shelves are another
reason people in Macallen are getting fat.
fat.
>> When you're picking snacks, you know,
most people are going to go for chips.
>> Eating a big bag of chips every day adds
about 33,000 extra calories a month,
equal to 9 lb of body fat.
>> Those are pretty small bags. So maybe at
one time people have one or two.
Throughout the day, many consume foods
that are high in energy, zero in
nutrition. These are called empty
calories. You
>> one serving is 12 ounces, 39 gram of
added sugar. So, I mean, there's a lot
of sugar, there's a lot of calories,
>> and it's very easy to drink.
>> Many of the fruit juices you buy are
actually nothing more than flavored
sugar water.
>> I don't think this has anything to do
with actual fruits.
>> They are all lacking real vitamins and
minerals. Some synthetic dyes that are
used in the textile industry are also
found in foods as colorants. However,
fresh fruit and vegetables aren't easily
accessible here.
>> $16 for this. Eating healthy food
shouldn't be this expensive.
>> In a city where a full triple meat
burger meal costs only less than $12, no
one chooses to spend $16 on fruit.
McGallan residents earn about 30% less
than the US average. So, eating healthy
is often out of reach. It takes real
willpower to resist fast food that is
cheaper, easier, and tastier. For
locals, it's tempting to pick up a quick
lowcost dinner like this corncoated
sausage after work. It looks premium
with labels like no byproducts and real
honey. However, the turkey is
mechanically separated, which is a cheap
pastel-like meat, and most of the
sweetness comes from corn syrups, not
real honey. These are not actual foods.
I can't believe kids eat these. Nine
vitamins and minerals. These are not the
best ways to get these. Lower
cholesterol. The label says it supports
heart health. Inside a heart-shaped
icon, but the product actually increases
the risk of heart disease. With colorful
packaging, these ultrarocessed cereals
are heavily marketed to children. Look
at these foam plates. They put a meal
here, but this meal is unhealthy.
Hamburger and French fries. This
shouldn't be the first fruit that comes
to your mind. These images do nothing
but normalize unhealthy eating. No added
sugar. Is it real? I don't care. I don't
believe that. We bought what locals buy
and now we're making a typical Macallen dinner.
dinner.
>> Nick, can you prepare us a classic
American meal?
>> I absolutely can.
>> At this point, I don't know how far Chef
Nick Dioani will take this.
>> I think first we make some fried
chicken. All American food has lots of
fat and lots of salt. We're going to go
in with a bunch of oil.
>> Canola oil contains toxic compounds that
can be harmful when consumed in large
amounts. While waiting for it to heat
up, we are making a big indulgent
milkshake. Dick adds six scoops of ice
cream in total to boost the flavor. Five
cookies go in, each worth 65 calories.
>> It's building up.
>> He adds heavy cream for extra softness
and richness.
>> Each one of these spoonfuls is 50 calories.
calories.
>> 10 spoons means exactly 500 calories.
That's how easily it adds up.
>> 10. How's that? I would say we have 2,250
2,250
calories in this shake alone.
>> Now it's time to give it a whiz.
>> Smells inviting. He's pouring out the
mix. Whipped cream adds extra calories.
Meanwhile, the chicken soaked up the oil
like a sponge while frying. The mac and
cheese Nick prepared earlier is also done.
done.
>> I made you some fried chicken, some mac
and cheese, some French fries, a
milkshake, and got you a big gulp.
>> This 7,000 calorie dinner is loaded with
fat and has way more carbs than anyone
should eat in a day.
>> Can you have a guess of how many g of
sugar is in this? Almost 110 g of sugar
in the one drink. It feels good now, but
my body will definitely regret it later.
>> All right, guys. I think I'm not going
to be able to finish it. I'm halfway there.
there.
>> Before calculating my total calorie
intake today, we're here to see what
life looks like years later for someone
who eats like this every single day.
We're about to meet an obese individual
who has become trapped in his own body.
>> Hello. Can we come in?
>> Go straight to the bed.
>> All right.
>> To protect him, we blurred his face and
fully concealed his identity. Even
though he voluntarily shared his story
during filming, >> brother,
>> brother,
>> he is at least 600 pounds above his
ideal body weight and now lives his life
entirely in his bed because of his
extreme weight.
>> And my current weight is unknown. Last
time I was weighed, I was 745.
>> What about your height?
>> I'm 5'8 and 1/2.
>> Why do you have an oxygen machine?
>> You, you know, you could lose your
breath. It can equal to the most worst
tragedy. He ended up in a homeless
shelter while struggling with a
life-threatening disease.
>> I picked up a a bad habit, a drug habit,
and I was under the influence for over 8 years.
years.
>> Cannabis can trigger strong food
cravings. After he quit, his brain was
still seeking dopamine and food became
the substitute.
>> This eating thing is not even filling
the hole I once had with the drugs, so
I'm double eating.
>> He got to the point that he couldn't
even get through his bedroom's door. How
many calories in total
>> a day?
>> For a day. Yes.
>> Like 10,000 calories. I would eat three
Mc Chickens, a Big Mac combo, cookies,
20 piece nuggets with the sauce, large
fries. After I ate all that food, there
were three meals that you get at the
hotel every day.
>> Haven't you felt any like fullness in
your stomach?
>> I would eat and I would get full, but my
mind would tell me, "It's good. to keep going.
going.
>> In 9 months, he found himself bedbound,
unable to stand up.
>> I gained 200 lb that year
>> on the bed.
>> On the bed.
>> His food addiction grew so severe that
he was manipulating the abs just to eat
when he couldn't afford it.
>> I got obsessed with getting free food
from I will call customer service, lie
to them, and tell them the driver was
rude. Oh, it's it's like this sticky
brown stuff on my bag and I don't want
to touch it. So, they'll have another
person redeliver the same big meal again
or they'll give me my money back and
I'll go to a different restaurant.
>> What is the first thing that you think
when you wake up in the morning?
>> What am I going to eat this morning? Do
I have a doctor's appointment today? I
can take my medicine on camera. Huh?
Let's do that. It's a lot of medications
in this bag. I literally only have
weight on my bones. My health is A1.
>> He has to take all the medications in
this bag every single day.
>> I have a bed pan under my bed that I
wash it, you know, daily, weekly,
whenever I use it. My sleeping schedule
is, let's say I go to bed at midnight.
I'm not going to wake up till 6:00 the
next evening. You're always laying in
the bed. So, you don't know when your
body is sleepy and when it's not.
>> Do you want to take a break?
>> I'm okay. It's whatever you want to do.
I have a high confidence level. I can
talk about things without being shamed.
My nutritionist has me on a regimen.
>> After losing 90 lbs with his diet plan,
he's recently been able to walk a few
>> He strained himself so hard just to get
out of bed that his gums bled. Eat less,
exercise more. I'm walking now. I can
take steps. I'm doing physical therapy.
>> What is something that you miss doing
the most?
>> Freedom is a beautiful thing. If you're
not free, life is not going to be
worth living. I want to thank you
personally. Help me share my story.
>> Today, I ate like a local in Macallen.
And in just 9 hours, I consumed 9,825
calories. If I ate like this every
single day for a month and kept my
activity level the same, I would gain
about 40 lbs. Obesity in McAllen isn't
just about food. It's about culture,
economy, and of course, city planning. A
healthier future for Mc Allen will
depend not just on individual choices,
but also on the actions taken by local
authorities. Don't forget to subscribe
to our YouTube channel. Thank you for
watching. See you in the next one. Rui
Click on any text or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video
Share:
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
One-Click Copy125+ LanguagesSearch ContentJump to Timestamps
Paste YouTube URL
Enter any YouTube video link to get the full transcript
Transcript Extraction Form
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
Get Our Chrome Extension
Get transcripts instantly without leaving YouTube. Install our Chrome extension for one-click access to any video's transcript directly on the watch page.
