Overweight, Obesity, and Growth Faltering Among Low-Income Children in Brazil
Authors' conclusion
This large-scale cohort study highlights persistent regional and ethnoracial disparities in both growth faltering and excess weight gain. The coexistence of undernutrition and obesity in the same population underscores the urgency for targeted nutrition and health policies in early childhood.
Study context
- Population
- Low-income Brazilian children aged 0 to 10 years, born 2001–2015, enrolled in the public primary health care system; 51.48% female, mean (SD) age 3.6 (2.8) years
- Participants
- 6,494,753 children
- Exposure
- Prevalence of stunting, overweight and obesity by region, age, sex and ethnoracial group
- Outcome
- Prevalence of stunting (height-for-age z <−2), overweight (body mass index (BMI)-for-age z >1) and obesity (BMI-for-age z >2), WHO standards
Methodological detailsadministrative health records, descriptive, Data from Unified Registry, Live Birth Information System and Food and Nutrition Surveillance System; analysed December 1, 2024, to June 31, 2025
- Administrative health records
- Descriptive
- Data from Unified Registry, Live Birth Information System and Food and Nutrition Surveillance System; analysed December 1, 2024, to June 31, 2025
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Overall prevalence of stunting, overweight and obesity
Stunting
433 754
6.68%
Overweight
818 967
12.61%
Obesity
489 541
7.54%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| Obesity prevalence (SE) by sex · 9 years of age | Boys 14.12% (SE 0.12%) · Girls 10.09% (SE 0.05%) |
| Obesity prevalence (SE) among girls by ethnoracial group | White 11.8% (SE 0.09%) · Parda 9.12% (SE 0.06%) · Indigenous 7.46% (SE 0.48%) |
Obesity prevalence (SE) by age
- Age 5 years
- 8.48% (0.02%)
- Age 9 years
- 10.09% (0.05%)
Original publication
Overweight, Obesity, and Growth Faltering Among Low-Income Children in Brazil. JAMA Netw Open. Published 2 January 2026. doi:10.
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