A statement, led by FIC Argentina, calling on Latin American governments to implement effective food labelling policies to tackle the alarming increase of obesity and overweight in the continent has attracted support from over 100 civil society organisations and public health experts from around the world, including the NCD Alliance.

Obesity has been identified as a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) globally. According to a recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), one out of three children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean are overweight, while half of the adult population is overweight.

Most countries in the region do not provide enough nutritional information on the package of food and beverage products. The World Health Organization, FAO and PAHO have recognised front-of-package warning labelling as a necessary intervention to discourage the consumption of ultra-processed products, helping consumers to identify more easily less healthy products and influencing them to make healthier choices.

To date, Chile, Uruguay and Peru have already implemented front of package food labelling with nutritional warnings, featuring simple and accessible information about the nutritional content of food and drinks. Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia are currently assessing the most effective policies to implement.

In light of this, over 100 civil society organisations and experts on public health have joined forces to call on Latin American governments to:

implement effective front-of-package food labelling policies with nutritional warnings to facilitate consumers’ right to information, health and healthy diet;
base their decision-making on the best available scientific evidence without the interference of any conflict of interest; and
prioritise public health over the commercial interests of the food and beverage industry.

Read statement in Spanish here

Read the press release in Spanish here

risks factors, food systems, obesity

Tag Feed: obesity

Small Island Developing States commit to care through the Bridgetown Declaration

11th September 2023

See how Small Island Developing States have committed to put human and planetary health before corporate interests with the Bridgetown Declaration.
Advocates hope Rio’s ban on ultra-processed foods in schools triggers wave

11th August 2023

A bill passed by Rio de Janeiro City Council in June 2023 to ban the sale of ultra-processed foods in public and private schools can motivate other cities in Brazil to take similar action, advocates for healthy eating are hoping.
Chile: When overweight prevalence decreases, so will NCD deaths

20th July 2023

In Chile, it is projected that there will be 117,000 deaths from NCDs like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease between 2020 and 2030. But a new study demonstrates this doesn’t need to be the case.
Consensus for health: no more trans fats in Mexico

13th June 2023

Demonstrating that it is possible to attain the ideal, civil society and the Mexican government reached a legislative consensus to remove trans fatty acids from the food supply in Mexico.
Mexican lawmakers ban use of trans fats, which cause 13,000 deaths a year in the country

13th February 2023

Mexico’s Parliament has banned the use of trans fats, a common ingredient in processed foods and a major cause of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the country and worldwide.

Search form