Aspectos epidemiológicos da obesidade em adultos no Brasil, entre 2017 e 2023

Abstract

Obesity in Brazil has shown a significant increase in recent years, reflecting changes in dietary patterns and lifestyle. The nutritional transition, which involves the reduction of malnutrition and the growth of obesity, is driven by a diet rich in ultra-processed foods and a decrease in physical activity. In addition, socioeconomic and racial factors have influenced the development of obesity, exacerbating health inequalities and contributing to the increase in chronic non-communicable diseases in the country. Considering that obesity is a multifactorial chronic disease, which has a high prevalence in Brazil, being characterized as a public health problem, this study aimed to identify the epidemiological aspects of obesity in adults in Brazil, between 2017 and 2023. This is a descriptive epidemiological study with a quantitative approach, whose data were obtained through the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN), in addition to scientific articles in the PUBMED, SCIELO and GOOGLE ACADEMICS databases. The data obtained by SISVAN were reorganized into tables and subsequently analyzed. It was observed that, in the last 7 years, cases of obesity in Brazil were higher in all years in the Southeast region, as well as among females, with the greatest difference between the sexes in 2017. In addition, the white race had the highest prevalence of obese individuals. It is therefore clear that the high findings in the number of cases of obesity in Brazil indicate the need to intensify early diagnosis, as well as appropriate therapeutic interventions, aiming at preserving the health of the population.