Nutrition transition in Chile: determinants and consequences

Abstract

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.

Food consumed does not account for the higher prevalence of obesity among stunted adults in a very-low-income population in the Northeast of Brazil (Maceió, Alagoas)

“…Data from WHO (1990), in an analysis about diet and its relation to chronic illnesses, point to a rise in fat consumption in the Brazilian diet parallel to the increase in BMI. Similar data were reported by Albala et al (2002) in a population-based study in Chile.…”

“…Such aspects do call for further longitudinal studies, with the same population, in order to better shed light on the problem. However, studies conducted in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as is the case in Brazil (Albala et al, 2002;Monteiro et al, 2002), have pointed to an increase in the prevalence of obesity in urban areas as opposed to rural areas, although the reverse is the case when it comes to undernutrition. Therefore, it would be highly unlikely to expect this population to have been obese prior to migrating to the urban center.…”

Nutritional status, food consumption and physical activity among Chilean school children: a descriptive study

“…One of the most important contributing factors to the increase in childhood obesity is PA (Uauy et al, 2001;Albala et al, 2002). In this study, we analysed hours spent watching television and after school PA. With respect to TV, children not only watched a considerable amount of time during weekends, but also during school days.…”

“…The country experienced simultaneously a demographic and epidemiologic transition, resulting in an ageing population and a shift from infectious to chronic diseases. Sedentary lifestyle and an elevated consumption of processed foods rich in fats, sugars, and salt and low in dietary fibre, all known risk factors for obesity, have also risen considerably (Uauy et al, 2001;Albala et al, 2002;Kain et al, 2002).…”

Polimorfismos genéticos de interleuquina 6 (IL6), IL6R e IL18: asociación con componentes del síndrome metabólico en niños chilenos con obesidad

“…Países desarrollados y en vías de desarrollo registran un incremento en la prevalencia de obesidad en niños y adolescentes (~14% en 2000 a ~17% en 2010) 3 . En Chile, la rápida transición epidemiológica y nutricional ha triplicado la prevalencia de obesidad infantil en las últimas dos décadas 4,5 . La relación entre sobrepeso/obesidad infantil y RI ha enfocado la investigación en el SM como predictor de enfermedades de la vida adulta 6 .…”