Obesity remains a major public health concern in Colombia, affecting adults, children and adolescents alike. While national survey data show that excess weight was already widespread more than a decade ago, more recent estimates confirm that the problem persists. Food affordability, marketing and opportunities for physical activity all influence the conditions in which people make dietary choices.
Colombia has introduced front-of-package warning labels to help consumers identify packaged foods high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat. As the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) marks World Food Day on Oct. 16, the coexistence of hunger and obesity highlights the challenge of ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious, balanced food.
What do the figures reveal about obesity in Colombia?
Colombia’s most recent national nutrition survey, the National Survey of the Nutritional Situation (ENSIN), was conducted in 2015 and 2016. It found that 56.4% of adults aged 18-64 had excess weight, including 18.7% who had obesity. The prevalence differed by sex: obesity affected 22.4% of women and 14.4% of men.
The survey also identified excess weight among younger age groups. It affected 6.3% of children under five, 24.4% of children aged 5-12 and 17.9% of adolescents aged 13-17.
These figures remain an important national benchmark, but their age limits how confidently they describe current conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 23.6% of Colombian adults had obesity in 2022, using an age-standardized measure. The figure cannot be compared directly with ENSIN’s result because the data sources and methods differ. Colombia needs a newer national survey to establish how prevalence has changed.
The United States offers another point of comparison. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 40.3% of U.S. adults aged 20 and older had obesity in August 2021-August 2023, while another 32.1% had overweight without obesity. Together, those categories accounted for 72.4% of adults.
The U.S. figures illustrate the scale of the issue in another country, but differences in age groups, survey periods and measurement methods matter when comparing national estimates.
Why does obesity matter for public health?
Obesity is a chronic disease associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, according to the WHO. Its development involves multiple factors, including biology, diet, the surrounding environment and social conditions.
Access to nutritious food is one part of the picture. Household budgets, the availability and price of fresh produce, the marketing of energy-dense products and opportunities to exercise can all influence dietary patterns and physical activity. These conditions also mean that prevention cannot rely solely on individual decisions.
Children and adolescents warrant particular attention because dietary habits, food environments and activity patterns established early in life can influence health over time. The ENSIN findings show that excess weight is not confined to adults, although updated data are needed to determine the current situation among younger Colombians.
How is Colombia addressing obesity?
Colombia established its front-of-package warning labels through Law 2120 of 2021 and Resolution 2492 of 2022. The black octagonal symbols alert consumers when packaged products exceed specified thresholds for nutrients such as added sugars, sodium and saturated fat. The regulations also address other labeling requirements, including sweeteners.
The labels make certain nutritional risks easier to identify at the point of purchase. However, warnings are just one component of a larger strategy, and buying fewer unhealthy products does not automatically lower obesity rates.
Other countries offer examples of approaches that Colombia can assess alongside its own measures.
In 2016, Chile launched a comprehensive policy package combining warning labels with marketing and school sales restrictions on unhealthy foods. A September 2024 PLOS Medicine study found that during Phase 2, household purchases of target products fell 36.8% for sugar and 23.0% for energy compared with a non-policy baseline. However, because these measures were implemented together, the study could not isolate the impact of warning labels alone.
Mexico targeted sugar-sweetened beverages with a tax in January 2014. According to The BMJ, purchases of taxed drinks averaged 6% lower in the first year and fell 12% below projected levels by December 2014. While this confirms a shift in purchasing habits, it does not directly prove that the tax reduced obesity.
Australia took a non-punitive approach in 2014 with its voluntary Health Star Rating system, which grades packaged foods from 0.5 to 5 stars rather than displaying black warning octagons. After voluntary adoption missed its 2025 target, food ministers requested a proposal to make the system mandatory in February 2026. As of October 2026, Food Standards Australia New Zealand is reviewing public consultation feedback. Australia thus serves as a case study in expanding labeling reach and compliance, rather than proof of obesity reduction.
What should Colombia measure next?
Colombia’s next step should be to update its national nutrition data and evaluate whether existing policies are changing food purchases, product composition and health outcomes. A new survey using comparable methods would help establish trends in obesity and excess weight across age groups and between sexes.
Warning labels can be assessed alongside other measures, including restrictions on marketing to children, school food standards, taxes on sugary drinks and policies that make nutritious food more affordable. While Chile, Mexico and Australia illustrate different regulatory approaches, their results must be interpreted in light of what each evaluation actually measured.
Colombia’s primary challenge is finding the right combination of policies to drive lasting improvements in diet and stem rising obesity. That requires reliable national data and sustained evaluation, not just evidence that a label has appeared on a package or that purchases of a taxed product have declined.