Obesity among 18- to 24-year-olds grows in Brazil, points out survey

The obesity rate has increased in Brazil among people aged 18 to 24, according to a broad national survey released this Thursday (29).

The problem is associated with the combination of inadequate diet and insufficient practice of physical activity, according to Covitel 2023 (Telephone Survey of Risk Factors for Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases in Times of Pandemic). The survey heard 9,000 people from all regions of Brazil. Data collection was carried out between January 2nd and April 18th by telephone.

In 2022, 9% of this population had a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 kg/cm², which configures obesity. In 2023, this percentage rose to 17.1%.

Currently, more than half of the Brazilian population (56.8%) is overweight, a sum of overweight and obese people. These are individuals with a BMI equal to or greater than 25kg/cm2. The index reaches 68.5% in the age group between 45 and 54 years and 40.3% among the youngest, aged 18 to 24 years.

Sedentary lifestyle

The practice of physical activity is considered a protective factor against the development of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). The survey data indicate that only 31.5% of Brazilians practice at least 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Significant differences were found for this data by gender, age and education. According to the survey, 34.8% of men are physically active, while among women the rate drops to 28.3%.

Just over 48% of people with higher education (12 years or more of schooling) are physically active, more than double the number of people with less schooling (0 to 8 years of schooling), a group in which only 20.9% are active.

The survey highlights that the percentage stands at 18.9% in those over 65 years old, the least active, and 37.9% in the age group of 25 to 34 years old, those who practice more physical activity in their free time.

“The low levels of physical activity of the Brazilian population are a cause for great concern. Physical inactivity causes more than 5 million deaths a year worldwide. Public policies to promote physical activity are urgent throughout the national territory”, reinforces Pedro Hallal, Professor at the Federal University of Pelotas and one of the coordinators of Covitel.

Developed by Vital Strategies, a global public health organization, and by the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), with articulation and funding from Umane and support from the Brazilian Association of Collective Health (Abrasco), Covitel was held for the first time in 2022 and reaches its second edition in 2023.

How to deal with obesity

Obesity and overweight are health issues with multifactorial causes, which highlights the involvement of different sectors of society in order to reduce the impacts of the problem.

“Obesity and overweight in childhood are of particular concern to us, because the earlier the appearance, the greater the risk of accumulating comorbidities and the greater exposure to these comorbidities during life. This leads to multiple complications associated with the disease, such as the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, the appearance of some types of cancer, in addition to the risk of early death and impact on quality of life”, warns Paulo Miranda, president of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (SBEM).

From a conceptual point of view, both overweight and obesity refer to the excessive accumulation of body fat, an umbrella that includes all other concepts. Obesity is a risk factor for other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and some types of cancer.

In addition, there is the way in which the problem is seen by society, which can lead to stereotypes and discrimination. For experts, it is precisely at this point that it becomes evident how social and psychological aspects of the individual can be affected, in addition to the physical issue.

Because it is a health problem with multifactorial and complex causes, obesity needs to be treated considering the social and economic contexts that involve individuals.

“The treatment of obesity is complex and multidisciplinary. In general terms, pharmacological treatment is adjuvant and starts with secondary prevention to prevent the progression of the disease to a more severe stage and prevent complications, always with an individualized therapeutic approach”, says surgeon Leonardo Emilio, associate professor at the Department of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG).

Some measures can contribute to coping with being overweight, such as taking the focus off weight loss, adopting an adequate and healthy diet, practicing regular physical activity, embracing and caring for the emotional side and making plans that can be executed.