Latin America loses no fewer than $50 billion annually to the double burden of under-nutrition and over-nutrition (obesity), a World Food Programme (WFP) study has revealed.
‘The Cost of the Double Burden of Malnutrition’, is the result of a partnership between the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the WFP, and calculated losses in productivity, health and education in Chile, Ecuador and Mexico.
“Under-nutrition and obesity are the two sides of malnutrition, and together they contributed to the loss of billions of dollars for economies in Latin America.
“While under-nutrition undermines physical growth and impairs brain development, overweight and obesity can lead to non-communicable diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
“Together, they inflict a ‘double burden’ on countries and people as they hinder the development of individuals, the well-being of communities and the goal of reaching Zero Hunger by 2030,” the report said.
It warned that unless more is done to mitigate this health burden, the region faces a “frightening” future.
According to the study, gross domestic product (GDP) in each country shrinks every year as a result of losses is productivity caused by this double burden.
“Losses are estimated at $500 million in Chile, $4.3 billion in Ecuador and $28.8 billion in Mexico, which represent 0.2 per cent, 4.3 per cent and 2.3 per cent loss of GDP respectively.
“Over the last decade many middle income countries have made great inroads into reducing under-nutrition.
“Yet the problem persists and we now witness a worrying trend among vulnerable communities with cases of undernourishment and overweight simultaneously within the same families,” WFP Regional Director, Miguel Barreto, said.
ECLAC Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, said: “The double burden of malnutrition increasingly affects the poor and vulnerable population, thus becoming another cause for the current inequality in our region.
“The implications for the future of countries are frightening.
According to the study, under-nutrition is declining, but ‘over-nutrition’ is expected to become the largest social and economic burden in the region.
“From 2014 to 2078, overweight and obesity are projected to cost on average $1bn in Chile, $3bn in Ecuador and $13 billion in Mexico per year respectively”.
The study recommended measures to mitigate this burden, advising governments to promote consumer education through clear policies and incentives to ensure reliable food labelling, physical activity initiatives, and the support of community-based nutrition education programmes.
It encouraged the food industry to work with governments to guarantee the production, availability and accessibility of healthier food products, and to play a positive and responsible role in educating consumers on healthy food choices.
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