For the first time, more school-aged children are obese than underweight around the world, with the exception of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The warning came in a report released on Wednesday by the United Nations children’s agency Unicef.
The agency said obesity has become the most common form of malnutrition among those aged five to 19, affecting nearly one in 10 worldwide. That amounts to 188 million children. In total, one in five – some 391 million – are overweight.
“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children,” Unicef executive director Catherine Russell said. “Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and development of children.”
The report said the share of five to 19-year-olds who are underweight has dropped from nearly 13 percent in 2000 to 9.2 percent, based on data from over 190 countries. But over the same period obesity has more than tripled, from 3 percent to 9.4 percent.
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Several Pacific Island countries now record the highest levels globally, including Niue at 38 percent, the Cook Islands at 37 percent and Nauru at 33 percent.
These rates have at least doubled since 2000, driven by a shift from traditional diets to cheap, imported foods.
Many wealthy countries also see high levels of obesity. They include Chile at 27 percent, the United States at 21 percent and the United Arab Emirates at 21 percent.
Marketing blamed
Unicef said the surge is not the result of poor individual choices but of unhealthy food environments.
“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,” Russell said.
The agency warned that fast food and sugary products dominate shops and schools, while digital marketing gives companies powerful access to young audiences.
It cited a 2024 poll of 64,000 young people in more than 170 countries which found 75 percent had seen advertisements for soft drinks, snacks or fast foods in the previous week.
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Katherine Shats, a Unicef legal expert in nutrition, told the French news agency AFP that children are “being bombarded by unhealthy food marketing of junk foods, especially at school where they are exposed to sugary drinks and salty snacks”.
She said families often buy such products because they are cheaper than fresh foods.
Unicef said the health impact is severe, with obesity linked to insulin resistance, high blood pressure and later-life diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Call for urgent action
The agency urged governments to act quickly to improve children’s food environments.
Its proposals include clearer labelling, advertising restrictions, taxes on sugary drinks and bans on ultra-processed foods in schools. It also called for stronger social protection schemes to help families afford healthier diets.
“In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition – the existence of stunting and obesity. This requires targeted interventions,” Russell said.
“Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development.”
Unicef warned that without action, the global economic impact of overweight and obesity could exceed 4 trillion US dollars annually by 2035.
