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UNICEF Report Warns of Rising Childhood Obesity

  • 10 Sep 2025

On 10th September 2025, UNICEF released a new global report highlighting that obesity has now overtaken underweight as the more prevalent nutrition issue among school-aged children and adolescents, driven by increasingly unhealthy food environments worldwide.

Key Points

  • Global Shift in Malnutrition: UNICEF noted that 1 in 10 school-aged children and adolescents (around 188 million) are now living with obesity, surpassing underweight prevalence for the first time in most regions.
  • Rising Obesity Rates: Obesity in children aged 5–19 has more than tripled, from 3% in 2000 to 9.4% in 2022, while underweight has declined from nearly 13% to 9.2%.
  • Regional Trends: Obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions except Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Pacific Island nations such as Niue and the Cook Islands, nearly 40% of 5–19-year-olds have obesity.
  • Health Risks: Obesity in youth significantly increases the likelihood of lifelong health problems including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • Food Environments: UNICEF attributed the surge to ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, as well as widespread marketing of unhealthy products.
  • Youth Exposure: A UNICEF poll of 64,000 respondents across 170 countries found 75% had seen junk food or sugary drink advertisements in the past week—even in conflict zones, 68% reported similar exposure.