2025 in review: Desiderata Institute

The Desiderata Institute, founded in 2003, is a Brazilian non-profit organization dedicated to improving public healthcare for children and adolescents. This year, Desiderata invested in efforts and established partnerships to improve the health of children and adolescents in Brazil.

Read on to find out more about Desiderata's 2025.

Eating Well is Good Business: A Healthy School is Everyone's Commitment

This year, we held events for the school community, aiming to encourage compliance with municipal laws that restrict the supply of ultra-processed foods in elementary schools.

On 13 June 2025, the Nelson Pereira dos Santos Hall, located in the Reserva Cultural de Niterói, hosted an event entitled ‘Eating Well is Good Business: A Healthy School is Everyone's Commitment.’ Organised by Desiderata, the gathering brought together educators, school administrators, nutritionists, and representatives of civil society to discuss promoting healthy eating habits in schools. 

We also held a virtual event under this theme on October 22, during School Nutrition Week. Broadcast on YouTube and Instagram, the event again brought together educators, family members, nutritionists, school administrators, canteen operators, and health professionals to discuss strategies and share experiences on promoting healthy eating habits in schools.

Featured guests included nutritionists and education professionals, such as child nutritionist Gabriela Kapim; Marluce Fortunato, a representative from the Rio City Hall Health Surveillance Department; Iris Lacava, Pedagogical Coordinator representing Colégio Andrews in Rio de Janeiro; and Tania Muzy, professor at UNIRio – Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. They contributed to and facilitated the discussion on the importance of laws restricting the sale of ultra-processed foods in school canteens in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, as well as the challenges and opportunities for implementing these measures.

Impacts of Childhood Obesity in Brazil: Projections of Morbidity, Mortality, and Costs until 2060

Childhood obesity is one of the most significant contemporary public health challenges, with rates of overweight and obesity rising alarmingly among children and adolescents worldwide. The Desiderata Institute conducted a study to highlight the costs of childhood obesity to the Unified Health System (SUS). It analysed the total and excess costs associated with childhood obesity and, for the first time in Brazil, developed a projection model for the evolution of obesity until 2060, considering reduction scenarios and their future impacts on health and costs.

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Advocacy in 2026: Regulation of Commercial Spaces

Desiderata has also developed an advocacy strategy focused on regulating the display of ultra-processed foods in commercial spaces, based on the premise that these environments also influence eating habits.

The ‘Shelf Display Bill’ (PL de gôndolas) aims to regulate the exposure of ultra-processed food products in commercial establishments, thereby reducing the impact of marketing on children and families. The display of ultra-processed food products and foods with excessive amounts of sugar, fat, and sodium near checkout counters must be positioned at a height greater than 1.2 m from the floor of the establishment. This will keep these foods out of the eyeline of children.

The Institute's work plan includes securing approval of the bill in Niterói, which was already filed in 2025, as well as filing similar bills in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói in 2026.