Annual Report 2020 Desiderata

PT
grafismo
menino sorrindo e dançando

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a recognized public health problem nationally and internationally. According to the World Obesity Federation, it is estimated that 158 million children under the age of five were overweight worldwide in 2020. In Brazil, it is estimated that about 30% of children and adolescents treated in the SUS primary care are overweight. Childhood obesity stems from a number of factors, especially through environment conditions that permeates multiple contexts: family, community, school, social, and political.

STRATEGY

The Desiderata Institute carries out integrated actions to raise awareness among public administrators and influence public policies for preventing and treating childhood obesity. These include producing and spreading knowledge, monitoring data, social mobilization, and advocacy.

Taking action to curb the growing obesity numbers has been an even greater challenge with the Covid-19 pandemic. The increase in sedentary behavior, with more screen time for children and adolescents, and the rise in the consumption of ultra-processed foods, which emerged as an affordable option for many Brazilian families that became even more vulnerable, have escalated over the past year.

Results

Mobilization for the issue of childhood obesity

“Childhood obesity is no joke” Campaign
3,424,857 people impacted by 12 exclusive pieces of content released weekly on social media and hosted on our website: obesidadeinfantil.org.br. Our aim was to raise civil society’s awareness about the factors that make childhood obesity a major public health problem.
Watch video
2nd Seminar on Obesity in Children and Adolescents
online event with live broadcasting, 2,401 hits during 4 days of lectures with invited speakers.
Access the recording of the event
Childhood Obesity Infographic: a shared responsibility
Produced in partnership with Alana Institute, it points out the influence of external factors - environmental, political, socioeconomic, and cultural - on the obesity numbers in children and adolescents.
Access the publication
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Data Monitoring

2nd Panorama of Obesity in Children and Adolescents
Elaboration and promotion of this panorama, which brings together information that helps understand the scenario of childhood obesity in the state of Rio de Janeiro, as well as the challenges and opportunities for its control.
Access the publication
Children's Health Hackathon
The proposed challenge was to create alternatives for increasing the collection of quality and reliable data on nutritional status and food consumption. The challenge included 133 participants, 22 teams, and 14 proposed solutions.

Participation in formulating policies to face childhood obesity

Municipal draft bill no. 1662/2019
Mapping of the new legislature and elaboration of technical documents to support the project that establishes "Actions to Fight Childhood Obesity" in Rio de Janeiro, in partnership with the Institute for Health Policy Studies - IEPS. The draft bill aims to: regulate the distribution and sale of ultra-processed foods in schools; require companies to have a lactation room for breastfeeding; and ensure that the display of unhealthy food products targeted to children are positioned above their line of sight in commercial establishments.
Strategic Plan of Actions to Face Non-Communicable Diseases and Conditions (NCDs)
Contribution to the public consultation held by the Ministry of Health, with suggestions for specific actions to address obesity in children and adolescents.
Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Childhood Obesity (PROTEJA)
Participation in the technical development workshop at the invitation of the General Coordination of Food and Nutrition (CGAN) of the Ministry of Health.
School Nutrition Council of the city of Rio de Janeiro
Member in this space for social participation, with the goal to ensure the Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition.

Strategic networks

Childhood obesity is a public health problem with multifactorial causes, which means that tackling it depends on long-term collective and integrated actions. To this effect, the Desiderata Institute believes it is essential to team up with national and international groups that can enhance the impact of its actions, such as:

Alliance for Adequate and Healthy Eating

Organization that brings together professionals, associations, and social movements dedicated to the promotion and protection of adequate and healthy eating habits. The group's objective is to support the advancement of public policies that guarantee food and nutritional security for the population.

NCD Alliance

An international organization that brings together more than 2,000 organizations, including civil society movements, governments, and UN agencies, that are known for their non-communicable diseases (NCDs) policies and practices, including those regarding cancer and obesity.

Institute for Health Policy Studies

An independent, non-profit organization which strives to contribute to the improvement of public health policies in Brazil. IEPS defends the idea that the whole Brazilian population should have access to quality health care, and that the use of resources, and the regulation of the health care system should be as effective as possible.

Food Policy Program

Based on the vast experience of Bloomberg Philanthropies in tobacco control, the Food Policy Program convenes civil society organizations and research institutions to promote efficient public policies for the regulation of practices, foods, and environments. In Brazil, the organizations and institutions that are part of the Food Policy Program are: ACT Health Promotion; Brazilian Consumer Defense Institute (IDEC); FIAN Brazil, Epidemiological Research Center on Nutrition and Health (NUPENS), and the Desiderata Institute.

Global Health Advocacy Incubator

Organization that provides support for initiatives working toward the implementation of laws that promote the improvement of public health around the world. It acts through support, training, and technical assistance in all components of advocacy actions. These include political mapping, legal analysis, strategic planning, coalition building, and grassroots mobilization.

Early Childhood Coalition

Group of organizations that monitors bills related to early childhood, including: Maria Cecília Souto Vidigal Foundation, Alana Institute, Desiderata Institute, and Rede Nacional da Primeira Infância.

Intersectoral Forum to Fight NCDs

It aims to promote partnerships among the main institutions in the public, private, and third sectors to fight non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This is an ongoing initiative through its digital platforms and biannual meetings, with more than 100 participating institutions.