Chile's food law and the prevention of obesity
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This document was formulated by the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It was designed to share the Chilean experience while Law Nº 20,606 regarding the Nutritional Composition of Food and Food Advertising (hereinafter the Food Act) was being passed(1) with members of parliament and other decision makers from different countries throughout the Americas. This process encompasses formulation of the Act, its entry into force and monitoring of the Act, which may also apply to other public policies of this type, which is to say, that favor the general population’s health. Chile is one of the countries in the Region with the highest overweight and obesity rates for children and adults(2). In 2009-2010, over 60% of the population between the ages of 15 and 64 was overweight or obese(3). The problem is even more serious for the population with fewer years of education(4) and which belongs to the low- and mediu m-income quintiles(5). The proportion of overweight and obese persons has increased very quickly, since 7% of first-grade elementary (primary school) students were considered obese in 1987 and this figure came to 24.6% in 2016(6, 7). Supply, demand and consumption of processed and ultraprocessed food and beverages with industrial formulations consisting of substances derived from food or synthesized from other organic sources increased between 1987 and 2016. Some of these products are sold for i mmediate consumption, since these are ready to eat after heating(8). Most products sold in supermarkets fall into this category, despite the fact that there is evidence that these foods lead to weight gain and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease(8). Chilean people have the highest per capita soft drink consumption rate in the world and has the second- highest per capita ultraprocessed food sales in the Region(8). In addition, only 14% of the Chilean population follow three or more dietar y guidelines recommendations and only 5% have a healthy diet(4). If no changes are made, healthcare expenses stemming from obesity in Chile are estimated to increase from 0.5% of the country’s GDP in 2016 to 1.6% in 2030(9) or amount to approximately US$ 750 million per year for the next 20 years. These reasons motivated the public sector to consider and implement a series of policies, plans and programs to reduce overweight and obesity rates, which led to formulation of the Food Act.