Prevalence of overweight and obesity and the burden of high body-mass index in Latin America: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

Abstract

Summary Background Overweight and obesity represent a growing global health crisis, significantly increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases. In Latin America, rising rates are driven by urbanisation-related physical inactivity and a nutritional transition characterised by the replacement of whole foods with ultra-processed alternatives. Timely and comprehensive epidemiological analyses are crucial for designing and monitoring effective public health policies. Methods This study presents Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 estimates for the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and the burden attributable to high BMI from 1990 to 2023. Prevalence estimates were disaggregated by country and sex for children (5–14 years), adolescents and young adults (15–24 years), and adults (25 years and older). The analysis incorporated 70 new microdata and one new report data sources in the GBD 2023 round. Estimates were generated using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) and included adjustments for self-reported data. Burden attributable to high BMI was quantified using disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 26 outcomes. Findings In 2023 in Latin America, Mexico had the highest age-standardised prevalence of overweight and obesity for children (28.4%). For adolescents and young adults, Chile showed the highest age-standardised prevalence (51.9%). Among adults, the Latin American region had an estimated 274 million individuals (72.1%) who were overweight or obese, with 127 million classified as obese. Chile also recorded the highest age-standardised prevalence for adults (79.9%), while Colombia experienced the fastest percentage increase in adult overweight and obesity from 1990 to 2023 (68.9%). Overall, a monotonic increase in obesity prevalence was observed, with adults showing a yearly change above 0.7 percentage points since 2015 in most subregions. In 2023, 15.8 million DALYs were attributable to high BMI. Mexico had the highest age-standardised DALY rate at 3414.2 per 100,000. Diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease were the top three contributors to high BMI–attributable DALY rates for both sexes. In Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay, age-standardised DALY rates attributable to high BMI did not show a clear increase (their uncertainty intervals included zero), reflecting declining age-standardised death rates; the absolute number of attributable DALYs nonetheless rose in all four countries because of population growth and ageing. Interpretation High BMI is a major risk factor in Latin America. It is now among the three leading risk factors for DALYs among females in most countries of the region. The rapid increase in prevalence among adolescents and young adults (346.3% increase in obesity prevalence) signals growing future pressure on health-care system capacity. The collection of measured BMI data for children 5–14 years old should be prioritised to improve understanding of prevalence in this age group. Funding Gates Foundation.