Chile joined the programme in 2024, with an ambitious partnership between the Danish Embassy, Renca Municipality and Novo Nordisk. This partnership is working to promote initiatives related to curbing the rise of overweight and obesity, with focus on childhood obesity.
Chile has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the world. The sharp increase in obesity prevalence, especially among school-age children, underscores the need for collaborative action. Enabling healthy living from an early age is essential to curb the rise in obesity and chronic disease. Despite several important initiatives driven by the Chilean Government and local organizations, more efforts and collaboration are needed.
Health disparity is closely associated with income and socioeconomic status. Obesity prevalence among people with a lower level of education is almost double compared to those with the highest level of education. This trend is also observed by gender, with a greater proportion of women affected in low and medium educational levels.
Renca´s administration takes an ambitious approach to the prevention of chronic diseases, with programmes in place through different phases of child development. Cities for Better Health in Cuenca builds on this important work.
Renca is a low-medium income municipality in the west zone of Santiago, Chile, with a population of 160.000 inhabitants. The city has defined childhood as one of their key focus areas.
Addressing the high rates of overweight and obesity requires dedicated action across multiple areas and agendas. The local administration has taken a visionary approach to connecting stakeholders across sectors to drive change in prevention.
Programmes already in place including “Crecer en Renca” (Growing up in Renca) have implemented a number of actions and generated evidence related to health and child development in school environments and homes.
Cities for Better Health brings the opportunity to test new solutions through pilots, build awareness and generate data to support the expansion of promising initiatives.
Key facts and figures
Diabetes prevalence (adults)
39.9%
Ministry of Health Chile and Renca Health Department
overweight and obesity prevalence (adults)
74.2%
Renca Health Department
Obesity prevalence (children and adolescents):
17.5%
Renca Health Department
Other relevant facts/figures to include?
41.2%
Renca Health Department
The "Cities for Better Health" program in Renca will prioritize the well-being of children within the school environment, focusing on enhancing physical activity opportunities and ensuring access to healthy food. Through close collaboration with the local administration, partners will conduct a comprehensive local assessment and develop a strategic plan for the upcoming years.
This approach will enable the city to design and implement targeted measures to mitigate the risk of childhood overweight and obesity. The proposed initiatives encompass a range of activities, including the establishment of urban gardens, the promotion of physical activity, and community-focused communication efforts, all of which are integral components of the strategic roadmap.
The initial phase of interventions is scheduled to start from 2025 onward, with the primary focus being the implementation of urban gardens within the school environment, marking the initial step in the comprehensive strategy to foster healthier lifestyles among children in Renca.
Estamos felices con esta alianza, con un foco en mejorar las condiciones de desarrollo de niños y niñas de la comunidad, especialmente pensando en vida sana, en deporte y promoción de hábitos saludables. Esto se enmarca en estrategias que hemos avanzado hasta ahora en programas como el de “Crecer en Renca”, donde la pregunta que nos hacemos es ¿cómo acompañamos la trayectoria de desarrollo de todos los niños y niñas de nuestra comuna, estamos orgullosos de ser la primera ciudad de Chile en ser parte del programa Cities for Better Health”
Claudio Castro, Alcalde de Renca.
We are very happy with this partnership, with a focus on improving the development conditions of children in the community, especially focusing on healthy life, physical activity and promoting healthy habits. This is part of strategies that we have advanced so far in programs such as "Crecer en Renca," where the question we ask ourselves is: how do we accompany the development trajectory of all children in our community? We are proud to be the first city in Chile to be part of the Cities for Better Health program.
Claudio Castro, Mayor of Renca.
