[Gender inequality: implications for the relationship between food insecurity and obesity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]

This study aimed to evaluate the association between food insecurity and obesity in adult heads of household considering the differences between men and women. This cross-sectional study used data from the I Survey on Food Insecurity in the City of Rio de Janeiro. Adults (aged 20-59 years) who headed households (n = 1,026) were analyzed. Food security and food insecurity levels (mild and moderate/severe) were assessed by the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Self-reported weight and height were used to estimate obesity, assessed by body mass index. Associations between families' food insecurity levels and obesity were estimated by multinomial logistic models (relative risk ratios - RRR - and their 95% confidence intervals - 95%CI) on Stata software. Women with mild (RRR = 2.8; 95%CI: 1.3-5.8) and moderate/severe food insecurity (RRR = 2.5; 95%CI: 1.0-6.4) had a higher risk of obesity. food insecurity constituted a risk factor for obesity only in women, with no statistically significant results in men, showing how gender inequality amplifies the adverse effects of food insecurity on female-headed households, compromising the quality and quantity of their diet.