AUTHOR=Herrera-Cuenca Marianella , Kovalskys Irina , Gerardi Alejandro , Hernandez Pablo , Sifontes Yaritza , Gómez Georgina , Yépez García Martha Cecilia , Méndez-Pérez Betty , Landaeta-Jimenez Maritza , Pareja Rossina , Cortés Lilia Yadira , Rigotti Attilio , Fisberg Mauro , Zimberg Iona Zalcman 

TITLE=Anthropometric Profile of Latin American Population: Results From the ELANS Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.740361

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2021.740361

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Latin America has experienced changes in lifestyle since 1960.</p><p><bold>Aim:</bold> The aim was to determine the prevalence of obesity and stunting among eight countries of Latin American and to identify the determinant risk factors for obesity.</p><p><bold>Subjects and Methods:</bold> Data were obtained from 9,218 participants of the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS), a multicenter cross-sectional study of the representative samples in eight Latin American countries. All the participants completed a standard protocol to investigate the nutrient intake and anthropometric variables (weight, height, and circumferences) analyzed by country, gender, age, and socioeconomic status.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The prevalence of obesity was higher in Costa Rica and Venezuela (29%) and lower in Colombia (16%), stunting was reported higher in Peru (47%) and lower in Argentina (17%), and waist and neck circumferences showed the higher values in Costa Rica (43%) and Chile (52%) and lower values in Colombia (23 and 26%).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> This study indicates an increasing trend toward overweight and obesity that are associated with lower socioeconomic status, being a woman, and concurs with inadequate intakes of calcium, which may be related to poor quality diet and in the long term could constitute risk factors for the chronic diseases and a health burden to the region.</p>