In Ecuador, 5.5% of children under 5 years of age are obese and overweight

Overweight and obesity are two illnesses that affect children in different countries around the world. This is how the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it an epidemic. 8% of children under 5 years of age, for example, are overweight and obese.

Find out which is the city with the highest rates of overweight and obesity in Ecuador.

In Ecuador, the situation is similar. 5.5 % of children under 5 years of age are overweight and obese, according to the National Survey on Child Malnutrition, published in September 2023. 

This document explains that in the rural coastal provinces , higher levels of overweight and obesity are recorded in infants. 6.3% is concentrated; while on the urban coast it is 5.9%. It is followed by the urban and rural Amazon, with 5.5% and 4%. In the case of the urban and rural Sierra it reaches 5.1%.  

In this framework, the cities with the highest rates of overweight and obesity are Guayaquil, with 7%, and Cuenca, with 5.8%. 

The Survey also divides it by ethnicity, as follows: children identified as white make up 6.8%; mestizos, 5.7%; the montubios, with 5.5%; Afro-Ecuadorians, with 5.1%; and indigenous people, with 4.2%. 

What is the difference between overweight and obesity? 

Both are defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that can be harmful to health. The reason? They are risk factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. 

According to the WHO, overweight is up to 15 or 20 kilos above what a person should weigh. While obesity is above 20 kilos; In addition, too high a fat increase is observed. However, complications in a person’s health appear when they weigh more than 10 kilos. 

How to prevent overweight and obesity? 

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommends improving school nutrition and physical activity environments; attention and promotion of breastfeeding and healthy eating for the mother; tax policy and regulation of food marketing and labeling (nutritional traffic light). 

In 2022, the WHO also launched an initiative to stop the advance of obesity, which consisted of technical guidance and cooperation to programs and policies for better nutrition.

At home you should develop eating habits, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Serve them plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products.
• Include low-fat or fat-free dairy products, including yogurt and cheese.
• Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils and beans as protein sources.
• Encourage your family to drink plenty of water.
• Limit sugary drinks.
• Limit your consumption of sugar and saturated fats.