Chile's Food Regulations Associated with Lower Child Obesity Risk, Study Suggests
A study published in The Lancet found that Chile's Food Labelling and Advertising Law (FLAL), which introduced black octagonal warning labels, school sales restrictions, and marketing bans on unhealthy foods in 2016, plausibly reduced the risk of overweight and obesity among children aged four to six. The analysis drew on national data from more than 300,000 schoolchildren and used a cohort difference-in-differences design to compare weight outcomes before and after the law's first phase. Researchers say the findings offer the first evidence that a comprehensive package of food policies — rather than a single measure — can reduce childhood obesity risk at the national level.
Chile, which ranks among the countries with the highest rates of childhood overweight and obesity globally, implemented the Food Labelling and Advertising Law (FLAL) in 2016, targeting foods and drinks high in sugars, saturated fats, salt, or calories through three core measures: mandatory front-of-package black octagonal warning labels, restrictions on the sale of such products in schools, and limits on food marketing directed at children. The Lancet study, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, analyzed national data on more than 300,000 schoolchildren aged four to six, comparing weight outcomes before and after FLAL Phase 1. After 18 months of exposure to the law, girls had a 2.9% lower risk of overweight or obesity and boys had a 2.4% lower risk compared to pre-FLAL cohorts; effects were detectable even after just six months. Researchers note the reductions may appear modest but argue they carry meaningful long-term health implications given the strong associations between childhood obesity and later risks of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The study did not capture the effects of Phases 2 and 3 of FLAL, introduced in 2018 and 2019 with stricter nutrient thresholds, which researchers expect produced even greater reductions given evidence of larger drops in sales of labelled products during Phase 2. Commentators from The George Institute for Global Health called the findings a case for governments to move beyond single-policy approaches and adopt comprehensive, integrated food environment strategies. Key limitations include the untestable assumption that both cohorts would have followed identical nutrition trends absent the law, and the fact that children's weight was measured by school staff rather than clinical professionals.
What's missing
The study only covers FLAL Phase 1 (2016); data on the effects of the stricter Phase 2 (2018) and Phase 3 (2019) regulations have not yet been published, leaving the longer-term and cumulative policy impact unquantified.
What different sources said
- Medical XpressCenter
Chile's food warning labels and ad bans cut child obesity risk, analysis suggests
- News-MedicalCenter
Comprehensive food regulations lower obesity risk among children
- STAT NewsCenter
Chile offers new data on food warning label efficacy
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