Obesity Trends and Nutritional Status in Latin American Populations

Over the past three decades, Latin America has experienced a marked rise in obesity and overweight, fuelled by rapid urbanisation, shifts towards highly processed diets and declining physical activity. Prevalence rates of obesity now exceed 30% in many urban centres, with central adiposity emerging as a critical risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. At the same time, micronutrient deficiencies persist in vulnerable groups, creating a double burden of malnutrition. Socioeconomic gradients are pronounced: higher income and education often correlate with greater access to calorie-dense foods yet also with improved dietary diversity, whereas low socioeconomic status is linked to both undernutrition in rural communities and excess weight in urban slums. Dietary patterns have shifted from traditional staples such as beans, legumes and unrefined grains towards increased consumption of saturated fats, sugars and animal products. These trends underscore the necessity of cross-sector public health policies, dietary guidelines tailored to regional food systems and community-focused interventions to curb the trajectory of noncommunicable diseases.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Obesity Trends and Nutritional Status in Latin American Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in obesity trends and nutritional status in latin american populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Body mass index (BMI): A ratio of weight to height squared used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity.

Energy imbalance gap (EIG): The difference between average daily energy intake and energy expenditure, indicative of weight gain or loss trajectories.

Socioeconomic status (SES): A composite measure of income, education and occupation that influences access to resources and health outcomes.

Noncommunicable disease (NCD): Chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers not passed from person to person.

Nutrient-dense foods: Foods high in vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients relative to calorie content.

References

1. Energy imbalance gap was associated with body mass index and sex in Latin American adolescents—results from the ELANS study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024).
2. Contribution of Proteins to the Latin American Diet: Results of the ELANS Study. Nutrients (2023).
3. Latin American consumption of major food groups: Results from the ELANS study. PLOS ONE (2019).