CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Socio-economic and demographic transformations are occurring very fast in the world, especially in South America, accompanied by changes in the epidemiological profile of prevalent diseases, in lifestyles and dietary patterns. The present review therefore addresses the question of whether obesity and overweight are related to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and cancer, looking at most of the available publications related to South America, plus our own research carried out in more than 6000 cases and controls interviewed. In South America, obesity and CVD risk factors are mainly related to preventable risky lifestyle conditions, aging and ethnicity effects. The studies relating cancer and obesity come mainly from the Southern Cone, the most affected by this pathology. In the overall study population with Metabolic Syndrome the greater prevalences in decreasing order occurred in Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Perú, Argentina and Ecuador with difference between urban/rural or urban/periurban areas. Obesity and cancer may be prevented by healthy behavior, and hence healthy dietary habits excercise and weight control are important for the future prevention of these major chronic, partially avoidable, diseases.