Around 10 per cent of children across the world are obese, surpassing - for the first time - the number of those who are underweight, a major study by children’s charity Unicef has found.
Roughly 188 million children and young people between the ages of five and 19 are now thought to be affected by obesity. That figure rises to 391 million for children who are overweight, which includes those who are obese.
The figures were published in a 114-page report, published by Unicef, entitled “Feeding Profit: How food environments are failing children”.
The children’s charity is urging governments to take measures to protect children by cracking down on the marketing and availability of ultra processed foods.
Measures could include removing ultra processed foods from school canteens and banning companies responsible for producing these foods from involvement in developing and implementing policy.
The latest data from Unicef shows that the prevalence of underweight children has declined since 2000 from nearly 13 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
Obesity rates, meanwhile, have increased from three per cent to 9.4 per cent, exceeding instances of being underweight in all regions of the world except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The highest rates of obesity among children are found in the Pacific island states, including Niue (38 per cent) and the Cook islands (37 per cent).
The sharp rise is believed to be the result of a shift in the traditional diets of children to ultra processed foods, which can be cheaper.
Good nutrition, including plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein, is vital to a child’s growth, cognitive development and mental health.
Ultra processed foods, often high in sugar, starch, salt, unhealthy fats and additives, offer little health benefits.
The children’s charity estimates that the global economic impact of overweight and obesity will surpass US$4 trillion (£2.95 trillion) annually by 2035.
Unicef executive director Catherine Russell said: “In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition – the existence of stunting and obesity. This requires targeted interventions.
“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.”
Children are defined as overweight when they are significantly heavier than a healthy weight for their age, sex or height.
Obesity is an extreme form of overweight. It is linked to a higher risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers in later life.
