With information from PAHO<\/strong> Chile, with the highest prevalence of obesity and overweight in the region (78.8%), has been the first to present a National Plan for the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents. For their part, Mexico and Panama are close to finalizing their respective national plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) <\/strong>is working on a project with nine countries in the Americas <\/strong>to strengthen actions against obesity in the region, which has the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Americas, 67.5% of adults and 37.6% of children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 suffer from overweight or obesity, which increases the risk of non-communicable diseases and underlines the urgency of taking immediate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The seriousness of this problem was reflected in the 75th World Health Assembly in 2022, when countries approved the\u00a0World Health Organization’s (WHO)\u00a0Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity, which seeks to stop the growing increase in obesity through a comprehensive approach, which combines regulatory, fiscal and multisectoral strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Americas, nine countries participate as pioneers of 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 throughout the region.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The current scenario is worrying: since 1990, overweight and obesity in adults has increased by 52% in the Americas, from 44.4% to 67.5% in 2022. If the current trend continues, it is projected that by 2030 the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults will be 73.2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “These figures are alarming and not only represent statistics, but millions of lives affected by chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and even some types of cancer,” said Dr. Anselm Hennis, <\/strong>director of PAHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. “If we do not act decisively, preventable diseases and premature deaths will continue to increase,” he emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To address this challenge, PAHO and participating countries <\/strong>are implementing a set of measures based on the recommendations of the Acceleration Plan technical package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategies include the application of warning labeling on the front of food packaging, regulating the marketing of unhealthy food products, promoting breastfeeding, regulating food <\/strong>sold in schools, and adopting tax policies that encourage healthy diets. In addition, it seeks to promote physical activity in public and school spaces, and strengthen primary health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plan also emphasizes the importance of monitoring and evaluating interventions to enable innovation in results-based policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since each country has different realities and capacities, progress varies, but the lessons learned are expected to be valuable for future expansion. Countries such as Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay have already begun to develop their roadmaps. Chile, with the highest prevalence of obesity and overweight in the region (78.8%), has been the first to present a National Plan for the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents. For their part, Mexico and Panama are close to finalizing their respective national plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To support these efforts, PAHO continues to provide technical assistance, training and intersectoral articulation. These actions also contribute to\u00a0PAHO’s\u00a0Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases\u00a0(NCD)\u00a0Initiative, which seeks to expand equitable access to comprehensive health services at the first level of care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Acceleration plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n