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The Annual Surveillance of Risk Factors Surveillance and Protection of Chronic Diseases by Telephone (Vigitel) of the Ministry of Health found an increase in chronic non-communicable diseases among Brazilians.
Among the research results, the increasing prevalence of obesity in Brazil stands out. It went from 11.8% in 2006, the year monitoring began, to 20.3% in 2019, an increase of 72%. It means that two out of 10 Brazilians are obese. Among women, the obesity rate was 21%, and among men, 19.5%.
Obesity tends to increase with age: for young people between 18 and 24 years old, the survey indicated a percentage of 8.7% and among adults 65 years of age and over, 20.9%.
With weight problems since childhood, businessman Ricardo Viana, 33, underwent bariatric surgery about 40 days ago. Due to obesity, associated with hypertension, Ricardo suffered a blocked vein in his eye that prevented his vision for a year.
“In addition to these two problems, vision and hypertension, there is the problem of muscle pain, joint pain, tiredness. And also the pre-diabetes that I discovered when I was doing preoperative. The eye problem was only solved when I started with a diet and blood pressure control, “says Ricardo.
How many obese older people do we see on the streets? They’re very few. And that is an alarming fact. Why not live until then. The government should invest more from childhood, basic education, “adds the entrepreneur.
For the president of the obesity department of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology, Dr. Mário Carra, there was a significant increase in obesity in Brazil in the 13-year period. “As obesity is a chronic disease and also has a genetic origin, the more obese we are, the greater the possibility of continuing to grow. There is still market interference, with increased consumption of ultra-processed foods. The cause of obesity is not unique. There is a genetic cause, there is an environmental cause, there are psychological causes. ”
The survey also noted that the percentage of overweight people also increased. It went from 22.6% to 24.5%. Among men, overweight was 57.1% and among women, 53.9%.
Hypertension
The Ministry of Health survey also increased the number of hypertension in Brazil. From 2006 to last year, the percentage of Brazilians with the disease increased from 22.6% to 24.5%. The condition is more common among women (27.3%) compared to men (21.2%).
The 2019 data shows that the prevalence of hypertension also increases with age, reaching 59.3% of adults over 65: 55.5% of men and 61.6% of women.
“High blood pressure gives me a lot of headache, a lot of pressure on the neck. I know it is a silent disease that we must be very careful about. In addition to the food, which I control a lot, there is also the problem of discomfort. Any concerns, any discomfort, I feel my pressure increase, ”says Maria Vasconcelos, 64, a retired teacher who discovered hypertension 15 years ago.
“I found out when I once had a very bad headache, pressure on the neck. Since I knew these were symptoms of hypertension, I went to a cardiologist and it was confirmed. I take one medicine a day. When the pressure is out of control, I start taking two, “adds Maria Vasconcelos.
Diabetes
The prevalence of diabetes among Brazilians has also increased. It jumped from 5.5% in 2006 to 7.4% in 2019, representing an increase of 34.5%. The disease is more common among women than men: 7.8% and 7.1%, respectively.
As with the obesity and hypertension data, the percentage of diabetes increases with age: the incidence in adults over 65 years of age was 23% in 2019.
Methodology
Vigitel, which has been held annually since 2006, collects data from people 18 years of age and older in the 26 state capitals of Brazil and the Federal District, who reside in households with at least one fixed telephone line.
In 2019, 52,443 interviews were conducted, with an average duration of approximately 12 minutes, ranging from 4 to 58 minutes. Indicators of hypertension and diabetes, overweight and obesity, as well as alcohol abuse, smokers, food consumption and physical activity were evaluated.
Annually, the Ministry of Health estimates a minimum number of two thousand respondents for each capital and the DF. The telephone interviews took place between January and December 2019.
