The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is working on a project with nine countries of the Americas on an initiative to strengthen actions against obesity in the region, which has the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world. In the Americas, 67.5% of adults and 37.6% of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 are overweight or obese, increasing the risk of noncommunicable diseases and highlighting the urgency of immediate action.
The severity of this issue was underscored at the 75th World Health Assembly in 2022, when countries approved the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity. This plan aims to halt the rising obesity rates through a comprehensive approach that combines regulatory, fiscal, and multisectoral strategies.
In the Americas, nine countries are pioneering this initiative: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. The lessons learned during this acceleration phase are expected to serve as a model for the future expansion of the Plan across the region.
The current outlook is concerning: Since 1990, adult overweight and obesity rates in the Americas have increased by 52%, rising from 44.4% to 67.5% in 2022. If the current trend continues, projections indicate that by 2030, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults will reach 73.2%.
“These numbers are alarming, and they represent not just statistics, but millions of lives affected by chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer,” said Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at PAHO. “If we do not act decisively, preventable illnesses and premature deaths will continue to rise.”
To address this challenge, PAHO and the participating countries are implementing a series of measures based on the technical recommendations of the Acceleration Plan. These strategies include the application of front-of-package warning labels and the regulation of marketing for unhealthy food products, the promotion of breastfeeding, the regulation of foods offered in schools, and the adoption of fiscal policies that promote healthy diets. Additionally, efforts include the improvement of physical activity, particularly in public and school settings and the strengthening of primary health care.
The plan also underscores the importance of monitoring and evaluating interventions to enable policy innovation based on results. Given that each country has different contexts and capacities, progress varies; however, the lessons learned are expected to be valuable for future expansion. Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay have already started developing their roadmaps. Chile, which has the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the region (78.8%), was the first to present a National Plan for the Prevention of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity. Meanwhile, Mexico and Panama are in the final stages of developing their respective national plans.
To support these efforts, PAHO continues to provide technical assistance, capacity-building, and intersectoral coordination. These actions also contribute to PAHO’s Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) Initiative, which aims to expand equitable access to comprehensive health services at the primary health care level.
