Child Obesity Overtakes Underweight Globally: UNICEF

A young girl chooses sweets at a supermarket in Lima, Peru. © UNICEF/Florence Goupil

For the first time in history, obesity has overtaken underweight as the most common form of malnutrition among school-age children and adolescents worldwide, UNICEF revealed in a new report on Tuesday.

One in 10 children aged 5 to 19 – around 188 million globally – are now living with obesity, placing them at heightened risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart conditions, and certain cancers.

“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and development of children. Ultra-processed food is increasingly replacing fruits, vegetables, and protein at a time when nutrition plays a critical role in children’s growth, cognitive development, and mental health,” she added.

The report, Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children, draws on data from over 190 countries and highlights a stark global shift.

One in five overweight

Since 2000, the number of underweight children aged 5 to 19 has dropped from nearly 13 per cent to 9.2 per cent.

During the same period, obesity has tripled, rising from 3 per cent to 9.4 per cent. Today, obesity rates exceed underweight in every region except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The problem is particularly acute in the Pacific Islands, where traditional diets have been displaced by cheap, energy-dense imported foods.

High-income countries are also affected: 27 per cent of children in Chile and 21 per cent in both the United States and United Arab Emirates are obese.

Globally, one in five children and adolescents – some 391 million – are overweight, with nearly half now classified as obese.

Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than what is healthy for their age, sex, and height. Obesity, a severe form of overweight, increases the risk of insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and life-threatening illnesses such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

Marketing to blame

The report points to powerful commercial forces shaping these outcomes. Ultra-processed and fast foods, high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and additives, dominate children’s diets and are aggressively marketed.

In a UNICEF poll of 64,000 young people across 170 countries, 75 per cent reported seeing ads for sugary drinks, snacks, or fast food in the previous week.

Sixty per cent said the ads made them want to eat those products. Even in conflict-affected countries, 68 per cent of young people reported exposure to such advertisements.

These trends carry staggering economic consequences. By 2035, the global cost of overweight and obesity is projected to exceed $4 trillion annually. In Peru alone, obesity-related health issues could cost more than $210 billion across a generation.

Governments must act

Some governments have started taking action. In Mexico – where sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods account for 40 per cent of children’s daily calories – sales of such items in public schools have been banned, improving food environments for more than 34 million children.

UNICEF is urging governments worldwide to adopt sweeping reforms: mandatory food labelling, marketing restrictions, and taxes on unhealthy products; bans on junk food in schools; stronger social protection programmes; and safeguards against industry interference in policymaking.

“In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition – the coexistence of stunting and obesity. This requires targeted interventions,” said Ms Russell.

“Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development. We urgently need policies that help parents and caregivers access healthy foods for their children,” she concluded.