For countries with rich culinary traditions that date back to the Aztecs and Incas, Mexico and Peru have developed quite a taste for modern food fashions.

Mexicans quaff more fizzy drinks than any other country; Peru has the highest density of fast-food joints in the world.

Chile, one of the world’s biggest exporters of fruit, doesn’t eat much of it: processed foods account for more than half an average Chilean’s shopping basket.

Even in slender Brazil, the eating of sweets and junk food has risen fivefold in 30 years.

Obesity in Latin America: Battle of the bulge | The Economist