Mothers' experiences of masculinity in the context of child obesity in Mexico

This paper explores mothers' experiences of masculinity in the context of child obesity in Mexico. The paper draws on face to face interviews with 10 medical staff working at the child obesity clinic at Federico Gómez Children's Hospital in Mexico City and on interviews with 16 mothers and 1 grandmother of children diagnosed with obesity and morbid obesity. Through an analysis of medical discourses and practices the paper identifies a tendency to underestimate the extent to which fathers are involved in shaping the family diet and other health related practices. The paper argues that mothers' experiences of masculinity reflect ways of resisting the increased blame placed on them. Through their voices, mothers expose silenced family dynamics of food and other health-related habits and patterns. The invisibility of fathers in medical and academic discourse works to feed mother blaming and misleads medical practices and policies designed to address child obesity in Mexico.