One in 10 children worldwide obese, says new UN report

Obesity surpassed underweight as the more prevalent form of malnutrition this year, affecting 1 in 10 – or 188 million – school-aged children and adolescents, and placing them at risk of life-threatening disease, UNICEF warned in a new report today.

Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children draws on data from over 190 countries and finds the prevalence of underweight among children aged 5-19 has declined since 2000, from nearly 13 percent to 9.2 percent, while obesity rates have increased from 3 per cent to 9.4 percent.

Obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions of the world, except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

According to the findings, several Pacific Island countries have the highest prevalence of obesity globally, including 38 percent of 5 to 19-year-olds in Niue, 37 per cent in Cook Islands, and 33 percent in Nauru.

These levels – which have all doubled since 2000 – are largely driven by a shift from traditional diets to cheap, energy-dense, imported foods.

Meanwhile, many high-income countries continue to have high levels of obesity, for example 27 percent of 5 to 19-year-olds in Chile are living with obesity, 21 percent in the United States, and 21 percent in the United Arab Emirates.

While undernutrition – such as wasting and stunting – remains a significant concern among children under 5 in most low- and middle-income countries, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing among school aged children and adolescents.

According to the latest available data, 1 in 5 children and adolescents aged 5-19 globally – or 391 million – are overweight, with a large proportion of them now classified as living with obesity.

Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than what is healthy for their age, sex and height.

Obesity is a severe form of overweight and leads to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as life-threatening diseases later in life, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

The report warns that ultra-processed and fast foods – high in sugar, refined starch, salt, unhealthy fats and additives – are shaping children’s diets through unhealthy food environments, rather than personal choice.

These products dominate shops and schools, while digital marketing gives the food and beverage industry powerful access to young audiences.