The prevalence of obesity among adults in Brazil more than tripled from 1990 to 2023. The study is part of the Global Burden of Disease series and shows that, among adults aged 25 and older, the prevalence rose from 7.8 to 27.7 percent over the course of three decades.

According to the study, published this month on the Lancet website, Brazil had the highest increase among the 17 Latin American countries surveyed.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Over 60% of Brazilians are overweight.
• Food prices decline, official inflation slows to 0.16% in June.
• Survey highlights lack of access to healthy food in Brazil’s favelas.

When all cases of excess weight – including being overweight and obesity – are combined, the prevalence rose from 40.3 percent in 1990 to 66.8 percent in 2023. In other words, two out of three Brazilians were above the normal weight for their height.

Along with Colombia, Brazil was the nation with the highest growth in the proportion of the population that was overweight (69%) in Latin America – a region that saw an average surge of 47 percent during that time span.

Overweight and obesity are calculated based on a body mass index (BMI) that takes into account the relationship between weight and height. Overweight is the category just above normal weight – that is, when the BMI is between 25.00 and 29.99. Obesity, on the other hand, is the category above overweight, when the BMI is 30.00 or higher.

Breaking habits

Deborah Carvalho Malta, a researcher at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) who helped conduct the study, says that this increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity reflects changes in habits, such as diet and physical activity.

She notes that, in recent decades, Brazil has been undergoing a nutritional transition with two contrasting outcomes – a reduction in malnutrition and a decline in food quality.

“There have been improvements in actual living conditions – access to food, and school meal programs, along with many important social protection policies, including the Bolsa Família [cash transfer] program, as well as a real increase in the minimum wage. As a result, malnutrition is increasingly becoming a residual problem,” Malta stated.

On the other hand, there has also been a decline in the quality of food consumed by the population as a whole.

“We’ve seen healthy foods being replaced by unhealthy ones, like ultra-processed foods. That’s because they’re cheaper, the industry markets them heavily, and they’re palatable foods with high levels of fat, sugar, and sodium – but with a taste that both children and adults enjoy. And they’re easy to prepare – you just open the package,” she pointed out.

She adds that studies have shown a decline in the consumption of beans, a legume considered an important source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Policies should be implemented to encourage healthy eating, such as increasing taxes on ultra-processed products (like soft drinks) and reducing taxes on healthy foods, such as meat, fruits, vegetables, greens, rice, and beans, she argues. “This will make a big difference on the tables of Brazilians, especially those with lower incomes.”

According to Malta, it is also important to encourage breastfeeding until the age of two and ensure that healthy foods are provided in school meals.

Sedentary lifestyle

Another phenomenon highlighted by the expert is the increase in sedentary behavior among Brazilians, who exercise less and are more exposed to cell phone, computer, and TV screens.

“This combination – dieting and physical activities – is a major factor in the rise in excess weight. And it’s a Western phenomenon, where people’s diets worsen and they become more sedentary.”

She argues it is important to address excess weight by providing healthy food and encouraging physical activities, starting in childhood.

“It’s much harder to reverse obesity that develops during childhood. So, [an obese] child also has a much higher risk not only of becoming obese as an adult but also of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases. That’s why it’s vital for us to pay special attention to childhood obesity,” she warned.

Deborah Carvalho Malta, a pediatrician with a Ph.D. in public health, points out that being overweight is linked to the development of various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular, kidney, and musculoskeletal conditions, as well as various types of cancer, not to mention the psychological impact on a person’s self-esteem.

The number of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increased fivefold in Brazil from 2012 to 2025. The incidence of these diseases – such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – rose from 30 to 158 cases per 100,000 people during that time span.

The data come from a study presented at the 74th Brazilian Congress of Coloproctology, which runs through this Saturday (Sep. 26) in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina.

Notícias relacionadas:

• New tech cuts rare disease diagnosis time in Brazil’s public care.
• WHO director-general: Brazil is a global model for health care.
• Survey highlights lack of access to healthy food in Brazil’s favelas.

The study was conducted by two members of the Brazilian Society of Coloproctology (SBCP): Abel Quaresma, from the University of Western Santa Catarina (Unoesc), and Paulo Kotze, from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR).

They collaborated with researchers from the University of Calgary, in Canada, the University of São Paulo (USP), the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), and others.

Based on records from Brazil’s national public health care network, the SUS, the scientists also found that the number of new cases diagnosed per year increased from 9.35 to 12.34 during the period.

The illness

Inflammatory bowel diseases are autoimmune disorders that lead to a chronic inflammatory process.

Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are multifactorial, meaning there is not just one cause, but several, Abel Quaresma noted.

Previous research has identified a genetic component. However, not all patients affected by these diseases have the genetic variations that studies associate with the development of IBD.

Environmental factors, therefore, are also linked to the development of these conditions.

“We don’t know the causal factor yet. We know they are multifactorial diseases. There’s genetics, pollution, and dietary habits. Our diet has changed a lot in recent years.”

The expert points out that ultra-processed foods contain numerous additives that may contribute to these inflammatory diseases.

“Twenty years ago, you’d buy a loaf of bread at the bakery, and four or five days later, it would go moldy. Nowadays, you buy a loaf of bread, and it stays fresh for three months.”

Preservatives, colorants, and thickeners – substances that make food cheaper, increase its volume, enhance its color and smell, and extend its shelf life – are what trigger these diseases, he went on to say.

The specialists expect the incidence of new cases to reach 22.7 per 100,000 citizens by 2035.

If this is confirmed, the projection is that, by 2035, the number of people with these diseases could reach 264 per 100,000 inhabitants – that is, 67 percent more than observed in 2025.

“These are diseases that were considered rare until around 2015. And they’re having a surge worldwide, including in Brazil. We project that, starting in 2040, they’ll become a public health problem, just like high blood pressure and diabetes.”

He also points out that these diseases have no cure, and treatment aims to control the inflammatory process and symptoms. The cost of these medications can reach BRL 500,000 per patient every year.

“Patients are often diagnosed at a young age and will need ongoing care for decades.”