Latin America is undergoing a rapid demographic and nutritional transition. A recent WHO/PAHO survey on obesity in the region revealed an increasing trend in obesity as countries emerge from poverty, especially in urban areas. In contrast, in middle income countries, obesity tends to decline as income increases; this is especially so in women. Dietary changes and increasing inactivity are considered the crucial contributory factors that explain this rise. The end result is a progressive rise in overweight and obesity, especially in low income groups who improve their income and buy high fat/high carbohydrate energy-dense foods. Intake of these foods increases to the detriment of grains, fruits and vegetables. Most aboriginal populations of the Americas have changed their diet and physical activity patterns to fit an industrialized country model. They now derive most of their diet from Western foods and live sedentary and physically inactive lives. Under these circumstances they develop high rates of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Supplementary feeding programs are common in the region; the number of beneficiaries significantly exceeds the malnourished. Weight-for-age definition of undernutrition without assessment of length will overestimate the dimension of malnutrition and neglect the identification of stunted overweight children. Providing food to low income stunted populations may be beneficial for some, although it may be detrimental for others, inducing obesity especially in urban areas. Defining the right combination of foods/nutrients, education and lifestyle interventions that are required to optimize nutrition and health is a present imperative.

Background: Dementia is becoming a major public health problem in Latin America (LA), yet epidemiological information on dementia remains scarce in this region. This study analyzes data from epidemiological studies on the prevalence of dementia in LA and compares the prevalence of dementia and its causes across countries in LA and attempts to clarify differences from those of developed regions of the world.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyse the determinants and consequences of the nutrition transition in Chile and describe the related health promotion policies. Design and setting: This is a descriptive, population-based study including data on demographic, diet, nutrition and biomedical related variables. Data came from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the Ministries of Planning, Health and Education surveillance systems, and national surveys. Results: As malnutrition decreased during the 1980s, obesity increased rapidly in all age groups. In adults, currently about 25% of women are obese (body mass index .30 kg m 22); particularly those from low socio-economic levels. Among preschoolers, obesity is now 10% while in 6-year-old children it is 17.5% (weight/height greater than two standard deviations (.2SD) of the World Health Organization reference). Nutritional risk factors are prevalent, diet is changing to a 'Western diet' with an increasing fat consumption, and sedentarianism is constant in all groups. High blood pressure (.140/90) is greater than 10% in adults. Diabetes is increasing in urban areas, including in the indigenous population, and more than 40% of adults have a cholesterol level of more than 200 mg ml 21. Conclusions: Promotion of healthy lifestyles is the main strategy to cope with this situation, particularly changing behaviour in food habits, physical activity and psychosocial factors. Changes in lifestyles will not only allow the prolonged life expectancy to be of better quality, but also will favour a decrease in the morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: To analyse the nutritional status component of the nutrition transition in Chile in relation to the evolution of obesity rates in all age groups until 2005, comparing these with the goals established by the Ministry of Health for the period 2000-2010. Design and setting: A descriptive study which includes data on the nutritional status of the Chilean population categorised by age. The data originate from: (1) institutions which administer nutritional programmes -the National Board for Day-Care Centres (JUNJI) and the National Board for School Assistance and Scholarships (JUNAEB); (2) the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics; and (3) epidemiological studies which include adolescents and the elderly.Results: The prevalence of obesity in pre-school children attending JUNJI was 10.6% in 2005; by age group, it was 6% in 2-year-olds, 11% in 3-year-olds and 14% in 4-year-olds. Among schoolchildren in first grade, obesity prevalence was 18.5%. In pregnant women, obesity has increased from 12% in 1987 to 33% in 2004. For adults, the 2003 National Health Survey showed that the prevalence of obesity (body mass index (BMI) $ 30 kg m 22 ) was 22% and of morbid obesity (BMI $ 40 kg m 22 ), 1.3%. Obesity varied according to gender and educational level, being higher among women (25% vs. 19% in men) and adults from low socio-economic levels. In the elderly there was a high prevalence of obesity in the 60-64 years age group for both men (35.6%) and women (44.1%), decreasing to 18% and 26%, respectively, in those aged 75 years and older. Conclusions: The goals for the decade (2000-2010) consider a reduction of obesity rates from 10% to 7% in pre-school children attending JUNJI, and from 16% to 12% in schoolchildren attending first grade. For pregnant women, the goal is to reduce the prevalence from 32% to 28%. Despite the implementation of initiatives in nutrition and physical activity, these have been insufficient to shift the rising trend in obesity. The explanation could be that after a rapid rise in obesity in children and pregnant women between 1987 and 2000, a stabilisation period or a 'plateau' is observed. In that situation, very effective interventions are required to reduce obesity, because it is extremely difficult to reverse the trend. Some positive experiences are being implemented in Chile, but government priorities are not focused in health promotion. A comprehensive State Policy in health promotion, that includes the public and private sectors related with obesity, is needed to reverse this trend.

Replacing habitual consumption of SSBs with milk may have beneficial effects on lean body mass and growth in children, despite no changes in percentage body fat. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00149695.