Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Overweight and obesity in Brazil- Statistics & Facts
Brazil stands as one of the countries with the highest obesity prevalence in the world. It was estimated that as of 2021 around a fifth of the population suffered from obesity. At that point in time, more than half of the people in the country were considered overweight. Moreover, the share of Brazilians struggling with such conditions has been rising in recent years. This trend is observed in both adult and child populations. In fact, it was estimated that Brazil would have over 7.6 million children living with obesity by 2030, risking becoming one of the five nations with the largest number of minors with this condition in the world.
When it comes to age, a similar trend can be observed. In both cases, the most affected population is the group of those aged between 45 and 64 years, with six in ten people within that age category considered overweight, and nearly three in ten considered obese. That is equivalent to the average prevalence of overweight and obesity in the most affected capital city in Brazil, namely Porto Velho. Along with Manaus and Porto Alegre, the capital of Rondônia accounts for the largest prevalence of these conditions in the South American country.
Who is affected by overweight and obesity in Brazil?
Although overweight and obesity can be found among all demographic groups in Brazil, they do not equally affect every part of the population. When considering gender, for instance, while men are more often affected by overweight than women, obesity is slightly more prevalent among women than it is among men. As of 2021, 60 and 55 percent of the male and female population, respectively, were considered overweight. This was the case for 22 and 22.6 percent of men and women in the case of obesity.When it comes to age, a similar trend can be observed. In both cases, the most affected population is the group of those aged between 45 and 64 years, with six in ten people within that age category considered overweight, and nearly three in ten considered obese. That is equivalent to the average prevalence of overweight and obesity in the most affected capital city in Brazil, namely Porto Velho. Along with Manaus and Porto Alegre, the capital of Rondônia accounts for the largest prevalence of these conditions in the South American country.
More than a purely economic cost
The high prevalence of these two conditions translates into multiple costs. In Brazil, the economic loss of overweight and obesity is forecast to reach more than 200 billion U.S. dollars by 2060, largely surpassing 60 billion U.S. dollars estimated for 2030. This would be equivalent to nearly five percent of the country’s GDP, an increase of three percentage points when compared to 2019 figures. The total translates into a per capita expenditure of one thousand U.S. dollars, mainly accounted for by direct medical expenses and premature mortality. However, the real cost lies on the health of the country’s population, with diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer becoming more prevalent with increasing rates of overweight and obesity, some of them already considered among the leading causes of death in the South American country.
