obesity

The Ministry of Health (MINSA) has launched the “Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity in Panama”, with the aim of reducing the prevalence of this disease in the country by 2030. The proposal was presented during a meeting with MINSA directors and advisors, and had the collaboration of the Pan American Health Organization.
Outstanding strategies include:

- Early feeding environment: Increase the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding by 30% by 2030.
- Population education and awareness: Promote healthy eating habits through food guides, with a focus on food systems in 50% of the institutions that are part of the intersectoral commission.
- Contracting of public food services: Implement technical guidelines to offer healthy food in canteens of early childhood care centers.
- Food labeling: Promote front nutritional warning labeling in 50% of key actors by 2030.
- Physical activity: Develop a national plan to promote physical activity, recreation and sport in the population.
- Primary health care: Implement a guideline to promote physical activity through primary health care by 2026.
- Food marketing: Achieve that at least 15% of educational centers implement regulations on food advertising and promotion.

Few studies assess consumer response to nutrition labeling, especially in less-developed countries. We analyzed the link between nutrition labeling and obesity in Ecuador using a representative cross-sectional sample of 29,770 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) in 2018. Nutrition labeling reduced the probability of obesity in adolescent (12–18 years old) and adult (18–59 years old) people by 4% (CI: − 5.7, − 2.2) and 8.4% (CI: − 12.7, − 4.0), respectively. The magnitude of average treatment effect of using nutrition label on obesity ranged from 0.90 (CI: − 1.299, − 0.500) to 1 (CI: − 1.355, − 0.645) BMI points for adolescent, and from 1.16 (CI: − 1.554, − 0.766) to 1.80 (CI: − 2.791, − 0.811) BMI points for adult. The effect of nutrition labeling is greater among the less obese. We recommend that health policy makers and clinicians continue to promote nutrition labeling especially where obesity is not chronic, where nutrition labeling is most successful.

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