More than 62% of workers in Brazil are overweight, according to a survey published on Tuesday, September 1, by Starbem, a corporate health and wellness platform.
The study analyzed the body mass index of 61,000 employees at 210 companies. It found that being overweight is more common among men, at 66.6%, than among women, at 59.8%.
However, grade III obesity, the most severe classification, was more common among women, affecting 3.8% of them compared with 2.9% of men. Rates of grade I obesity were similar between the sexes.
Obesity nearly doubles with age
The survey also broke down results by age group and found that younger workers tend to live healthier lives. Obesity rates nearly double between the ages of 20 and 50, the data showed.
By state, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul had the highest rates of obesity among the workers analyzed, according to the survey.
Gap in medical follow-up
Among the 17,110 workers with obesity registered on the Starbem platform, 11,953 of them, or about 69.9%, had not had an appointment with a nutritionist or endocrinologist in the previous 12 months, the survey found.
Starbem noted that this figure reflects follow-up recorded within its own platform. Workers may also be receiving care through other private health plans, Brazil's public health system, known as the SUS, or private clinics outside the platform.
Leandro Rubio, the chief executive of Starbem, said the most important finding was not simply the number of people who are overweight, but the gap that still exists between having a health benefit available and actually beginning a care journey.
Why excess weight is a health risk
Obesity is classified as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization, which defines it as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat.
Being overweight raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, kidney problems, joint problems and several types of cancer, according to the report.
Managing the condition requires medical supervision, physical activity and a healthy diet, the survey noted.
Consistency over strict diets
Carolina Codicasa, a nutritionist cited in the report, said managing weight is not simply a matter of going on a diet, and that consistency and organization are essential to the process.
She added that adapting a person's routine does not mean imposing a standardized lifestyle, but finding strategies that fit each individual and can be built into daily life to improve overall quality of life.
