[Obesity in adolescents and public policies on nutrition]

In recent years, obesity has become a major public health problem and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming pace. Moreover, this problem has affected children and adolescents in marked fashion. Considering this situation, public policies on nutrition were created as strategies to attempt to combat/control the high Brazilian obesity indices. The scope of this study was to conduct a historical analysis of the advances in Brazilian public policies related to nutrition/food and the practice of physical exercise to control obesity among adolescents. In this respect, a review was conducted of the literature in the PubMed and SciELO electronic databases that addresses Brazilian public policies on nutrition in the control of obesity. Official documents of the Ministry of Health, scientific articles, journals and the recommendations of the World Health Organization were also used in the research. The results revealed that public policies on nutrition practiced in Brazil have been implemented in an incipient manner when directed at adolescents with respect to the obesity factor. Therefore, a broader vision seeking policies that attempt to control obesity in adolescents is of paramount importance.