3 major concerns
How weight management, environmental conditions, and ageing impact consumption
A number of factors negatively affect the population’s perception of health and well-being in Latin America. Although stress stands out as the biggest universal concern, impacting 61% of people in the world and 59% of Latin Americans, we turn our eyes to three urgent problems – and that go hand in hand with stress. They are: weight, the environment, and ageing.
Weight management is an obstacle for 44% of Latin American consumers, with a higher incidence in Central America (52%) and Mexico (49%). This concern is relevant, since the region has an obesity rate 11 percentage points above the global level – 24% versus 13%, respectively, according to FAO.
To stay healthy, 87% of people say they follow a balanced diet, rich in whole grains and unprocessed foods, fruits and vegetables, and the percentage is even higher among the group that says they feel good or very good in relation to both physical and mental health: 91%. This data corroborates the relationship that people who feel good are more engaged in diets and healthy lifestyle practices.
In this context, sugary drinks (80%), processed foods (69%) and energy drinks (63%) are recognised as the most harmful to health, while milk (73%), meat (69%) and bottled water (68%) are the most beneficial. Still, there are barriers to adopting good behaviours, when it is noted that 31% of Latin Americans never perceive healthy food as indulgent.
It is worth noting that another strategy adopted to control weight is the practice of physical exercise (38%); however, less conventional methods are also gaining strength. It is possible to notice a small mobilisation of pharmaceutical solutions, such as GLP-1 obesity drugs, which are currently used by 3% of people. The greatest exponent in this context is Ozempic.
Medicines that do not require a medical prescription also emerge in this context. A series of supplements are used for health, with emphasis on general multivitamins (considered beneficial by 64% of the population), collagen (62%) and tablets to boost immunity (55%). Among the countries surveyed, Mexico (+32.6%) and Ecuador (+23.1%) have the highest penetration of vitamins in the comparison between 2023 and 2024.
Latin America witnessed extreme weather events in 2024. In Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul experienced severe flooding. In Argentina, a heat wave exceeded 40ºC on thermometers. Not to mention the forest fires in Chile and the water crisis in the Bogotá region of Colombia.
Events like these and others that have occurred in recent years are making people more engaged with environmental issues. Especially because they have come to understand that what is harmful to the planet directly affects individual health. Proof of this is that 24% of Latin Americans already understand that climate conditions negatively impact their well-being.
With this in mind, Latin America showed significant growth in Eco-Actives (consumers highly engaged with environmental issues) in all countries in the study. The biggest jumps, however, were seen in Central America (from 19% in 2023 to 34% the following year), Ecuador (from 6% to 18%) and Argentina (from 30% to 40%).
Importantly, individuals who are more committed to the planet also report higher levels of well-being. Among Eco-Actives, 48% say they are very well mentally and 40% say they are very well physically.
The percentage is slightly lower among Eco-Considerers (people who are concerned about the environment but take minimal action due to barriers such as convenience and cost) and Eco-Dismissers (who show little or no interest in environmental issues). In the first group, the well-being numbers are 43% and 35%, respectively. In the second, 40% and 32%, exactly in this order.
When we analyse the two countries that polarise well-being in the region separately – Colombia with the highest index and Argentina with some difficulty –, we see that the issue is not a concern related only to ageing. In Colombia, older people declare a better mental self-evaluation compared to physical: 83% focus on this aspect – with the 36 to 55 age group standing out – and 73% on physical conditions; while in Argentina, we see 53% and 50%, exactly in this order, with those aged 35 or younger being the greatest advocates of psychological balance.
It is also noticeable that, as people age, they become more concerned about health issues. Although hypertension (50%) and diabetes (49%) are the conditions that most afflict Latin Americans at any stage of life, among people aged 56 or older they become even more relevant: 58% and 53%, respectively. Women’s health issues also gain prominence, with 21% of people reporting symptoms of menopause. Here, the number is higher for Ecuador (131%) and Central America (119%).
Another relevant fact is that people say they have less time to look for healthy products – a complaint made by 9%, with 35% of them over 56 years old. This is a new space to act and be more present in consumers’ lives.
