In Brazil, there are no regions or economic classes that escape the overweight and obesity of its population, but it is certain that in some geographic locations this problem is more chronic. The Family Budget Survey (POF), in the year 2008-2009, carried out by the IBGE in partnership with the Ministry of Health, came to confirm this fact, pointing out that 40% of the Brazilian population is above the Weight.
A worrying fact is that among children aged 5 to 9 this percentage is also high. The IBGE reveals that 36.6% of Brazilian children are overweight. Obesity rates are also at a high level, growing a lot in the last 35 years. In 1974, only 1.4% of children were obese, jumping to 16.6% in 2009. The following pattern was also verified: there are more obese children in urban areas and in the Southeast region of Brazil.
In relation to the adolescent population, overweight and obesity rates also grew, but at a slower pace. If in 1974, 0.4% were obese, in 2009 this percentage rose to 5.9%. There was a predominance of obesity in adolescents with greater purchasing power, with a similar spatial distribution of these people in all Brazilian regions. It was also found that overweight increased more among male adolescents than females.
In the adult population, the data is even more alarming. According to POF, approximately 50% of Brazilians are overweight. Of these, about 15% are obese. Once again, it was found that most of these people are from a higher economic class, located in urban centers, mainly in the southeast and south regions of Brazil.
Therefore, the data reveals three basic patterns of people who are overweight:
1) the greater the income power of people, the more they tend to become overweight;
2) They are located, for the most part, in cities, in urban centers.
3) The spatial distribution of these people is in the Southeast and South regions, precisely the geographic regions with the highest income power of the population and with high urbanization rates.
By Regis Rodrigues
Graduated in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude-na-escola/obesidade-no-brasil.htm