We come together to solve one of Mexico's major public health challenges: Obesity.

Obesity is a pandemic we have faced for a long time. It is a global problem affecting individuals, families, and countless communities everywhere. In Mexico and the world, obesity leads to serious health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer, and diabetes. In addition to its impact on health, obesity bears social and economic costs.

Consult the anual report of the Institute for Research on Obesity to learn about our achievements and notable projects.

The Institute generates forefront knowledge through scientific rigor and analysis, developing ideas and innovative solutions to the problem of obesity through inter- and trans-disciplinary work and creating scientific-technological companies to improve the health and well-being of people and society.

The Institute for Obesity Research at the Tecnológico de Monterrey is a non-profit initiative aimed at generating scientific knowledge, ideas, and innovative solutions for the complex health issue of obesity.
The complexity of this chronic disease, obesity, requires interdisciplinary work to beneficially impact the quality of life, health, and well-being of individuals with overweight and obesity. Additionally, it involves influencing social actions, population health, and public policy to prevent and combat obesity, reduce stigma, and facilitate education about obesity.
The interdisciplinary nature of the Institute allows for multiple collaborative initiatives within the institution and externally, strengthening the research lines of our investigators and expanding the applicability of research to international initiatives.

The Institute meets and exceeds international standards of research ethics. This not only allows the use of its own financial resources but also enables competition for obtaining resources from national and international external sources through various schemes, including competitions, joint developments, and philanthropy. These resources are utilized for research, training highly qualified human resources, and developing solutions for obesity and its complications.
The Institute for Obesity Research at Tecnológico de Monterrey serves as a catalyst for significant advancements in understanding and treating obesity. Its commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration with global impact positions it as a leader in the fight against one of the most urgent health challenges of our time.

Discover

Generation of knowledge for healthy eating and the prevention and reduction of obesity

Develop

Development of therapies, procedures, and devices to combat obesity and metabolic diseases

Enable

Facilitator of science-technology-based companies that promote metabolic health

Support

Support for decision-making that builds healthier societies

Dr. Marco Antonio Rito Palomares
Director of the Institute for Obesity Research

Get to know his work

Dr. Leonardo Mancillas
 Clinical Director of the Institute for Obesity Research

Get to know his work

Dr. Guillermo Torre Amione
Rector of TecSalud

Get to know his work

Dr. Richard Willson
Faculty of Excellence

Get to know his work

Dr. Per-Olof Berggren
Faculty of Excellence

Get to know his work

Dr. Carmen Hernández Brenes
Leader of the Healthy Food Unit

Get to know her work

Dr. Omar Lozano García
Leader of the Bioengineering and Medical Devices Unit

Get to know his work

Dr. Rocío Isabel Díaz de la Garza
Leader of the Integrative Biology Unit

Get to know her work

Dr. Gerardo de Jesús García Rivas
Leader of the Experimental Medicine and Advanced Therapies Unit

Get to know his work

Dr. Héctor Arreola Ornelas
Leader of the Public Health Policy Unit

Get to know his work

For its vision and structure: a unique institute of its kind.

We come together to solve one of Mexico's major public health challenges: Obesity.

Obesity is a pandemic we have faced for a long time. It is a global problem affecting individuals, families, and countless communities everywhere. In Mexico and the world, obesity leads to serious health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer, and diabetes. In addition to its impact on health, obesity bears social and economic costs.

Consult the anual report of the Institute for Research on Obesity to learn about our achievements and notable projects.

The Institute generates forefront knowledge through scientific rigor and analysis, developing ideas and innovative solutions to the problem of obesity through inter- and trans-disciplinary work and creating scientific-technological companies to improve the health and well-being of people and society.

The Institute for Obesity Research at the Tecnológico de Monterrey is a non-profit initiative aimed at generating scientific knowledge, ideas, and innovative solutions for the complex health issue of obesity.
The complexity of this chronic disease, obesity, requires interdisciplinary work to beneficially impact the quality of life, health, and well-being of individuals with overweight and obesity. Additionally, it involves influencing social actions, population health, and public policy to prevent and combat obesity, reduce stigma, and facilitate education about obesity.
The interdisciplinary nature of the Institute allows for multiple collaborative initiatives within the institution and externally, strengthening the research lines of our investigators and expanding the applicability of research to international initiatives.

The Institute meets and exceeds international standards of research ethics. This not only allows the use of its own financial resources but also enables competition for obtaining resources from national and international external sources through various schemes, including competitions, joint developments, and philanthropy. These resources are utilized for research, training highly qualified human resources, and developing solutions for obesity and its complications.
The Institute for Obesity Research at Tecnológico de Monterrey serves as a catalyst for significant advancements in understanding and treating obesity. Its commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration with global impact positions it as a leader in the fight against one of the most urgent health challenges of our time.

Discover

Generation of knowledge for healthy eating and the prevention and reduction of obesity

Develop

Development of therapies, procedures, and devices to combat obesity and metabolic diseases

Enable

Facilitator of science-technology-based companies that promote metabolic health

Support

Support for decision-making that builds healthier societies

Dr. Marco Antonio Rito Palomares
Director of the Institute for Obesity Research

Get to know his work

Dr. Leonardo Mancillas
 Clinical Director of the Institute for Obesity Research

Get to know his work

Dr. Guillermo Torre Amione
Rector of TecSalud

Get to know his work

Dr. Richard Willson
Faculty of Excellence

Get to know his work

Dr. Per-Olof Berggren
Faculty of Excellence

Get to know his work

Dr. Carmen Hernández Brenes
Leader of the Healthy Food Unit

Get to know her work

Dr. Omar Lozano García
Leader of the Bioengineering and Medical Devices Unit

Get to know his work

Dr. Rocío Isabel Díaz de la Garza
Leader of the Integrative Biology Unit

Get to know her work

Dr. Gerardo de Jesús García Rivas
Leader of the Experimental Medicine and Advanced Therapies Unit

Get to know his work

Dr. Héctor Arreola Ornelas
Leader of the Public Health Policy Unit

Get to know his work

For its vision and structure: a unique institute of its kind.

Researches and analyzes the social, economic, and public policy factors that affect obesity and food, their impact on society and the economy.

What does this unit do?

The Public Health Policy Unit researches and analyzes the social, economic, legal, and public policy factors that affect obesity and diet. It also studies the impact of this problem on society and the economy and analyzes the actions that, from the fields of public policy, economics, and law, can contribute to reducing obesity and improving nutrition.

Likewise, this unit contributes to the public debate with information, analyses, and proposals aimed at expanding knowledge about the challenge of obesity and its social and economic implications. It formulates better policies and public programs from various areas to face the challenge and analyzes the best international practices in the field to know how they could be adapted to the Mexican context. It also works closely with the other units of the Institute so that the research they carry out also impacts public policies and debate.

The importance of Public Policies

Obesity has significant social and economic determinants beyond genetic or medical factors. People's food choices and lifestyles, including physical activity, depend on many factors, such as the environment in which they live, the infrastructure and spaces available for active living, access to and prices of healthy food, the information they have about the factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and diet, including what they learn in school and advertising to which they are subject, among others.

Public policies and legislation, beyond what is related to the health sector, have great relevance to the prevalence of obesity. For example, educational policy affects the training of people related to lifestyles and healthy eating, allowing for better decisions. Economic and trade policy and agricultural policy affect the availability of food and its cost. Fiscal policy contributes to final food prices and people's decisions about food consumption. Labor policy impacts the working environment; urban planning affects public spaces, infrastructure, and mobility, which affect people's physical activities.

The prevalence of obesity has a lot to do with public policies in multiple sectors besides health; thus, actions to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity correspond to many areas of public policy, not just the health sector.

Obesity and its context

Dr. Héctor Arreola Ornelas
Unit leader. Research Professor

Specialist in health systems, health economics and public policy.
Get to know his work

Dr. Paola Abril Campos Rivera
Research Professor

PhD in Public Health. Specialist in design and implementation of public policies for health.
Get to know her work

Dr. David Contreras Loya
Research Professor

PhD in Health Policy. Specializes in health economics, management and organizations, and quantitative methods for causal inference.
Get to know her work

• The feminization of medicine in Latin America: ‘More-the-merrier’ will not beget gender equity or strengthen health systems. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. 2022
• Closing the global pain divide: balancing access and excess. The Lancet Public Health. 2022

Researches and analyzes the social, economic, and public policy factors that affect obesity and food, their impact on society and the economy.

What does this unit do?

The Public Health Policy Unit researches and analyzes the social, economic, legal, and public policy factors that affect obesity and diet. It also studies the impact of this problem on society and the economy and analyzes the actions that, from the fields of public policy, economics, and law, can contribute to reducing obesity and improving nutrition.

Likewise, this unit contributes to the public debate with information, analyses, and proposals aimed at expanding knowledge about the challenge of obesity and its social and economic implications. It formulates better policies and public programs from various areas to face the challenge and analyzes the best international practices in the field to know how they could be adapted to the Mexican context. It also works closely with the other units of the Institute so that the research they carry out also impacts public policies and debate.

The importance of Public Policies

Obesity has significant social and economic determinants beyond genetic or medical factors. People's food choices and lifestyles, including physical activity, depend on many factors, such as the environment in which they live, the infrastructure and spaces available for active living, access to and prices of healthy food, the information they have about the factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and diet, including what they learn in school and advertising to which they are subject, among others.

Public policies and legislation, beyond what is related to the health sector, have great relevance to the prevalence of obesity. For example, educational policy affects the training of people related to lifestyles and healthy eating, allowing for better decisions. Economic and trade policy and agricultural policy affect the availability of food and its cost. Fiscal policy contributes to final food prices and people's decisions about food consumption. Labor policy impacts the working environment; urban planning affects public spaces, infrastructure, and mobility, which affect people's physical activities.

The prevalence of obesity has a lot to do with public policies in multiple sectors besides health; thus, actions to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity correspond to many areas of public policy, not just the health sector.

Obesity and its context

Dr. Héctor Arreola Ornelas
Unit leader. Research Professor

Specialist in health systems, health economics and public policy.
Get to know his work

Dr. Paola Abril Campos Rivera
Research Professor

PhD in Public Health. Specialist in design and implementation of public policies for health.
Get to know her work

Dr. David Contreras Loya
Research Professor

PhD in Health Policy. Specializes in health economics, management and organizations, and quantitative methods for causal inference.
Get to know her work

• The feminization of medicine in Latin America: ‘More-the-merrier’ will not beget gender equity or strengthen health systems. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. 2022
• Closing the global pain divide: balancing access and excess. The Lancet Public Health. 2022

Seeks the development of foods that prevent and combat obesity and other comorbidities associated with metabolic syndrome.

What does this unit do?

It selects the varieties of plant, animal, and single-celled species relevant to a diverse, healthy, and sustainable diet. Additionally, the interactions among nutrients and other chemical compounds during food processing, storage, and digestion are validated to design better foods for different populations.

Healthy Food

In Mexico, healthy food production is very variable due to the wide range of climatic conditions and migratory movements that have occurred and continue to occur in the national territory. On the one hand, traditional production systems focus on the diversity of vegetable crops and collecting local fruits and seeds that encourage a diverse diet. On the other hand, in some regions of the country, there is a greater degree of technology to increase the yield and quality of food, advancing the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goal #2 (SDG 2): zero hunger. Finding a balance in these approaches would move us toward fulfilling SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption.

Your food is your medicine

For centuries, it has been recognized that the consumption of healthy foods has a close relationship with good health in the present and future. Today there is a wealth of scientific evidence supporting the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Hippocrates' phrase "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food" leads to three grand challenges:

1. How to design food for population groups already suffering from certain chronic-degenerative diseases?
2. How to design foods that help prevent these diseases?
3. Understanding the reactions between a food's components and an individual's state of health

Currently, there are advances in understanding nutritional needs and the relevance of consuming antioxidant compounds, immunostimulants, and other beneficial health effects, but further research is required to support each individual to make the best choice based on their habits, customs, traditions, and specific needs. That is one of the challenges of this unit.

Dr. Carmen Hernández Brenes
Unit leader. Research Professor

Applied Metabolomics for Better Nutrition and Health.
 Get to know her work

Dr. Marilena Antunes Ricardo
Research Professor

Characterization of phytochemicals in plant matrices for the development of health foods with immunoeoeutical and/or cosmetic potential.
Get to know her work

Dr. Anayansi Escalante Aburto
Research Professor

Characterization of nutraceutical foods of plant origin. Nutrition, eating habits, and health.
Get to know her work

Dr. Iván Andrés Luzardo Ocampo
Research Professor

Functional foods based on cereals and legumes. In vitro, ex vivo, in vivo, and in silico approaches to study the effect of food matrices and metabolites in models of inflammation and obesity.
Get to know her work

Seeks the development of foods that prevent and combat obesity and other comorbidities associated with metabolic syndrome.

What does this unit do?

It selects the varieties of plant, animal, and single-celled species relevant to a diverse, healthy, and sustainable diet. Additionally, the interactions among nutrients and other chemical compounds during food processing, storage, and digestion are validated to design better foods for different populations.

Healthy Food

In Mexico, healthy food production is very variable due to the wide range of climatic conditions and migratory movements that have occurred and continue to occur in the national territory. On the one hand, traditional production systems focus on the diversity of vegetable crops and collecting local fruits and seeds that encourage a diverse diet. On the other hand, in some regions of the country, there is a greater degree of technology to increase the yield and quality of food, advancing the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goal #2 (SDG 2): zero hunger. Finding a balance in these approaches would move us toward fulfilling SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption.

Your food is your medicine

For centuries, it has been recognized that the consumption of healthy foods has a close relationship with good health in the present and future. Today there is a wealth of scientific evidence supporting the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Hippocrates' phrase "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food" leads to three grand challenges:

1. How to design food for population groups already suffering from certain chronic-degenerative diseases?
2. How to design foods that help prevent these diseases?
3. Understanding the reactions between a food's components and an individual's state of health

Currently, there are advances in understanding nutritional needs and the relevance of consuming antioxidant compounds, immunostimulants, and other beneficial health effects, but further research is required to support each individual to make the best choice based on their habits, customs, traditions, and specific needs. That is one of the challenges of this unit.

Dr. Carmen Hernández Brenes
Unit leader. Research Professor

Applied Metabolomics for Better Nutrition and Health.
 Get to know her work

Dr. Marilena Antunes Ricardo
Research Professor

Characterization of phytochemicals in plant matrices for the development of health foods with immunoeoeutical and/or cosmetic potential.
Get to know her work

Dr. Anayansi Escalante Aburto
Research Professor

Characterization of nutraceutical foods of plant origin. Nutrition, eating habits, and health.
Get to know her work

Dr. Iván Andrés Luzardo Ocampo
Research Professor

Functional foods based on cereals and legumes. In vitro, ex vivo, in vivo, and in silico approaches to study the effect of food matrices and metabolites in models of inflammation and obesity.
Get to know her work

Educational Artificial Intelligence Strategy

At Tec de Monterrey, we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform the way we teach and learn. This includes the use of virtual assistants, adaptive assessments, and data analytics to personalize the educational experience. Our focus is on exploring, implementing, and evaluating AI tools that help teachers create more meaningful experiences for their students. This is achieved by adapting or transforming teaching strategies and integrating AI into their disciplines, which also better prepares them for their professional fields. In this way, we ensure that learning becomes more dynamic and tailored to each student’s needs. 

For this reason, we aim to equip students with key AI-related skills, both general and specific to their fields of study, so they are ready for a world where this technology is increasingly relevant. This ensures our students graduate prepared to tackle the challenges of today’s workforce, equipped with the skills needed to excel in a future shaped by technology. Furthermore, integrating AI into education represents a significant shift that impacts various areas of knowledge, inviting us to reflect on the ethical challenges that come with its implementation. 

To achieve this, it is essential to prepare and support teachers. Our strategy includes training activities, exploration spaces, and innovation initiatives that allow them to familiarize themselves with AI tools and design learning experiences integrated with these technologies. We offer a wide range of training options, from introductory courses to learn how to use AI, to specialized boot camps. With these tools, we support teachers in designing innovative approaches they can implement in their classes. 

AI and our teachers

Integrating AI into teaching and learning presents an opportunity for faculty to innovate and transform their teaching practices. The goal is to prepare students for their professional futures, address their personalized learning needs and interests, and optimize teachers’ time. To ensure effective use of AI, faculty undergo continuous training. 

Through the Center for Faculty Development and Educational Innovation (CEDDIE), Tec de Monterrey supports teachers in integrating AI into their teaching practices. Practical resources, webinars, expert talks, workshops, hackathons, summits, and other events are provided to foster the development of competencies and tools needed to design learning experiences. 

In summary, CEDDIE focuses on advising, supporting, and training teachers in the strategic use of AI, concentrating on three main areas: 

1. Integrating artificial intelligence into the design of learning experiences.
2. Through teachers, developing AI-related competencies in students for their fields of study.
3. Encouraging creative ideas that improve various aspects of the educational process using this technology.  

AI Summit: Faculty projects

As part of Tec de Monterrey's efforts to support and train its teaching community in the strategic use of artificial intelligence, the AI Summit is a key event designed to create practical solutions that address real educational needs using AI tools.

In the 2024 edition, 180 innovative and dedicated teachers participated, presenting projects that integrated these tools into teaching activities and learning sequences, thereby improving instruction and enriching classroom learning experiences.

These projects are carefully implemented in classes to measure their impact on student learning, and the results obtained are used to design new AI-based educational tools and strategies.

The event projects focused on areas such as: 

• Tool application
• Evaluation and feedback
• Development of disciplinary competencies
• Personalized learning and tutoring
• Simulations and immersive environments 

All of this is carried out while ensuring the responsible use of technology.

In the following link, you can explore the projects that teachers have carried out:

Visit the AI Summit website

Educational Artificial Intelligence Strategy

At Tec de Monterrey, we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform the way we teach and learn. This includes the use of virtual assistants, adaptive assessments, and data analytics to personalize the educational experience. Our focus is on exploring, implementing, and evaluating AI tools that help teachers create more meaningful experiences for their students. This is achieved by adapting or transforming teaching strategies and integrating AI into their disciplines, which also better prepares them for their professional fields. In this way, we ensure that learning becomes more dynamic and tailored to each student’s needs. 

For this reason, we aim to equip students with key AI-related skills, both general and specific to their fields of study, so they are ready for a world where this technology is increasingly relevant. This ensures our students graduate prepared to tackle the challenges of today’s workforce, equipped with the skills needed to excel in a future shaped by technology. Furthermore, integrating AI into education represents a significant shift that impacts various areas of knowledge, inviting us to reflect on the ethical challenges that come with its implementation. 

To achieve this, it is essential to prepare and support teachers. Our strategy includes training activities, exploration spaces, and innovation initiatives that allow them to familiarize themselves with AI tools and design learning experiences integrated with these technologies. We offer a wide range of training options, from introductory courses to learn how to use AI, to specialized boot camps. With these tools, we support teachers in designing innovative approaches they can implement in their classes. 

AI and our teachers

Integrating AI into teaching and learning presents an opportunity for faculty to innovate and transform their teaching practices. The goal is to prepare students for their professional futures, address their personalized learning needs and interests, and optimize teachers’ time. To ensure effective use of AI, faculty undergo continuous training. 

Through the Center for Faculty Development and Educational Innovation (CEDDIE), Tec de Monterrey supports teachers in integrating AI into their teaching practices. Practical resources, webinars, expert talks, workshops, hackathons, summits, and other events are provided to foster the development of competencies and tools needed to design learning experiences. 

In summary, CEDDIE focuses on advising, supporting, and training teachers in the strategic use of AI, concentrating on three main areas: 

1. Integrating artificial intelligence into the design of learning experiences.
2. Through teachers, developing AI-related competencies in students for their fields of study.
3. Encouraging creative ideas that improve various aspects of the educational process using this technology.  

AI Summit: Faculty projects

As part of Tec de Monterrey's efforts to support and train its teaching community in the strategic use of artificial intelligence, the AI Summit is a key event designed to create practical solutions that address real educational needs using AI tools.

In the 2024 edition, 180 innovative and dedicated teachers participated, presenting projects that integrated these tools into teaching activities and learning sequences, thereby improving instruction and enriching classroom learning experiences.

These projects are carefully implemented in classes to measure their impact on student learning, and the results obtained are used to design new AI-based educational tools and strategies.

The event projects focused on areas such as: 

• Tool application
• Evaluation and feedback
• Development of disciplinary competencies
• Personalized learning and tutoring
• Simulations and immersive environments 

All of this is carried out while ensuring the responsible use of technology.

In the following link, you can explore the projects that teachers have carried out:

Visit the AI Summit website