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Brazil obesity rates triple in three decades, Lancet study shows
A study published in The Lancet, part of the Global Burden of Disease series, reveals that obesity among adults in Brazil has more than tripled over the last three decades. Between 1990 and 2023, the prevalence of obesity in adults aged 25 and older rose from 7.8% to 27.7%. When including overweight individuals, the total percentage of the population above a normal weight increased from 40.3% to 66.8%, meaning approximately two out of every three Brazilians are now overweight.
Brazil recorded the highest growth in obesity among 17 Latin American countries studied. Alongside Colombia, Brazil saw a 69% increase in the overweight population, significantly higher than the regional average of 47%.
Researcher Deborah Carvalho Malta from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) attributes this trend to a nutritional transition. While social protection policies like Bolsa Família and minimum wage increases have reduced malnutrition, they have coincided with a decline in the consumption of traditional foods, such as beans, in favor of cheaper, highly palatable, and easily prepared ultra-processed foods.
In response to rising obesity rates and associated chronic diseases, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has formally requested that the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the SUS (Conitec) include GLP-1 based weight-loss medications in the Unified Health System (SUS) registry, provided they are used for patients with clear clinical benefits.
Entities
Brazil · Deborah Carvalho Malta · Federal University of Minas Gerais · Global Burden of Disease · Lancet · Ministry of Health · The Lancet
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Brazilian Ministry of Health has requested the inclusion of GLP-1 weight-loss medications in the Unified Health System (SUS). imagemnews.com.br
- [● 10 SOURCES] The rise in obesity is attributed to nutritional transitions, including the replacement of healthy foods with ultra-processed items. www.jornalcidade.net · portaldiarioderondonia.com · www.atibaia.com.br · bsbtimes.com.br · eassim.com.br · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Obesity prevalence among adults aged 25 or older in Brazil rose from 7.8% in 1990 to 27.7% in 2023. www.jornalcidade.net · portaldiarioderondonia.com · www.atibaia.com.br · bsbtimes.com.br · eassim.com.br · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Total overweight and obesity prevalence in Brazil increased from 40.3% in 1990 to 66.8% in 2023. www.jornalcidade.net · portaldiarioderondonia.com · www.atibaia.com.br · bsbtimes.com.br · eassim.com.br · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Adult obesity in Brazil more than tripled between 1990 and 2023. www.jornalcidade.net · portaldiarioderondonia.com · www.atibaia.com.br · bsbtimes.com.br · eassim.com.br · +5 more