Editing McAllen, Texas (section)

===Health===
McAllen was the focus of a 2009 article in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' by [[Atul Gawande]] entitled "The Cost Conundrum", an inquiry into the factors that contribute to the cost of health care. The McAllen area had the highest taxpayer-sponsored spending per beneficiary in the United States, despite areas with similar demographics and health profiles having half the cost per recipient. The article noted that while the area has a higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes, its rates of [[infant mortality]], [[HIV]], and [[tobacco use]] were lower than the national average.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/06/01/the-cost-conundrum |title=The Cost Conundrum |date=May 25, 2009 |access-date=December 16, 2017 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |last1=Gawande |first1=Atul }}</ref>

McAllen was the most [[obesity|obese]] metropolitan area in the country in 2012, with 38.5% of the adult population considered obese. The high obesity rate has likely contributed to area residents' poor health. More than 21% of the population has been diagnosed with [[diabetes]], more than any other metro area in the United States. Poverty may play a large role in the community's health problems, as well. Over 25% of the city population was living below the poverty line during the period 2012–2016.<ref name="DP03"/> More than 29% of the population also lacked health coverage during that time.<ref name="DP03"/>

McAllen is featured in ''Supersize vs Superskinny'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/supersize-vs-superskinny-kids |title=Supersize vs Superskinny Kids - Channel 4 |website=www.channel4.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303005953/http://www.channel4.com/programmes/supersize-vs-superskinny-kids |archive-date=March 3, 2011}}</ref> a British television programme on Channel 4 that features information about dieting and extreme eating lifestyles. One of the main show features is a weekly comparison between an overweight person and an underweight person. In the show, the overweight participant visits morbidly obese McAllen residents to find motivation for lifestyle and diet changes.