Obesity and COVID-19 in Latin America: A tragedy of two pandemics-Official document of the Latin American Federation of Obesity Societies

Abstract

In May 2020, Latin America became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, a region already afflicted by social disparities, poor healthcare access, inadequate nutrition and a large prevalence of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Obesity and its comorbidities are increasingly prevalent in Latin America, with a more rapid growth in individuals with lower income, and currently a disease associated with COVID-19 severity, complications and death. In this document, the Latin American Association of Obesity Societies and collaborators present a review of the burden of two pandemics in Latin America, discuss possible mechanisms that explain their relationship with each other and provide public health and individual recommendations, as well as questions for future studies.

Keywords: COVID-19; Latin America; obesity; pandemic.

FIGURE 1

The complex relationship of social disparities, social distancing, obesity and COVID‐19