UNICEF: More Children Worldwide Are Obese Than Underweight

For the first time, more children and adolescents globally are obese than underweight, UNICEF said on Tuesday, citing a major new analysis of data from more than 190 countries. The agency estimated that around one in 10 young people aged five to 19 — roughly 188 million children and adolescents — are now affected by obesity.

UNICEF researchers said the shift reflects falling rates of underweight alongside a rapid rise in overweight and obesity linked to changes in diet. The prevalence of underweight in the 5-to-19 age group has declined from nearly 13% in 2000 to 9.2% today, while obesity has risen from about 3% to 9.4% over the same period.

The UNICEF report said the number of overweight children, a category that includes those with obesity, now totals roughly 391 million worldwide, or about one in five school-age children and adolescents. Obesity now exceeds underweight in every region except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the agency said.

Rates are highest in some Pacific Island states, with Niue at about 38%, the Cook Islands at 37% and Nauru at 33% among 5- to 19-year-olds. Several high-income and middle-income countries also report elevated levels: 27% of children in Chile, and 21% in both the United States and the United Arab Emirates are classified as obese, according to UNICEF’s figures.

UNICEF said the primary driver is a shift away from traditional diets toward foods that are ultra-processed, inexpensive and calorie-dense. Such products are often high in sugar, refined starches, salt, unhealthy fats and additives. The agency warned that exposure to marketing for these products and industry involvement in policymaking have exacerbated the problem.

Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than a healthy weight for their age, sex and height, and obesity is a more severe form of being overweight. Health experts warn that childhood obesity raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers later in life, and can affect growth, cognitive development and mental health.

"This is a growing concern that can affect the health and development of children," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, noting that many countries now face a double burden of malnutrition in which stunting and obesity coexist. "Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development. We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children."

UNICEF urged governments to act on several fronts, including stricter labelling and marketing controls, removing ultra-processed foods from school canteens, imposing taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks, and encouraging manufacturers to reformulate products to reduce unhealthy ingredients. The agency also called for measures to protect policy-making from interference by the ultra-processed food industry, recommending bans on industry involvement in policy development and mandatory reporting of political lobbying.

The report stressed that while undernutrition — which can present as wasting and stunting — remains a major problem for children under five in many low- and middle-income countries, the public-health and economic impacts of growing overweight and obesity could be substantial. UNICEF cited estimates that by 2035 the global economic cost of overweight and obesity may exceed US$4 trillion annually.

The analysis draws on national surveys and modelling across more than 190 countries and highlights regional and national variations in trends and prevalence. UNICEF said that tailored interventions will be required in settings where stunting and obesity are both present, and that ensuring access to affordable, nutritious food is central to preventing further increases in childhood obesity.

Public health experts have long emphasized prevention through healthy diets and physical activity, but UNICEF’s findings underscore the breadth of the challenge and the need for comprehensive policies that address food systems, marketing and the commercial interests that shape them.