IFAD Research Series - Issue 91: Addressing overweight and obesity in LMICs in the realm of rural development and food systems

Global evidence base versus practice in five country examples

Overweight and obesity rates across low- and middle-income countries are approaching levels in high-income countries. While overweight and obesity are more prevalent in urban areas, they are also on the rise in rural areas. Little research has been conducted on the effects of food systems on overweight and obesity.

This paper presents the findings of a literature review of the main drivers of overweight and obesity, described using a food systems framework and illustrated with examples from five countries. It explains the complexities of addressing overweight and obesity, and why there are few proven interventions.

Results show that food system-related interventions use traditional approaches, such as food package labelling, price manipulation and changing the food environment, but there is a gap in the evidence on what works.