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Obesity has overtaken underweight as the most common form of malnutrition among school-aged children and adolescents worldwide, UNICEF has warned in a new report.
The study, Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children, shows that nearly 1 in 10 children aged 5–19 – about 188 million – are now living with obesity, putting them at risk of life-threatening diseases.
Since 2000, the prevalence of underweight in this age group has fallen from almost 13% to 9.2%. But obesity rates have more than tripled, rising from 3% to 9.4%. Obesity now exceeds underweight in every region except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The report highlights Pacific Island nations as having the world’s highest obesity rates among youth: 38% in Niue, 37% in Cook Islands, and 33% in Nauru – double the levels seen two decades ago. The rise is largely linked to a shift from traditional diets to cheap, highly processed imported foods.
High-income countries also continue to see alarming levels of childhood obesity, including 27% in Chile, 21% in the United States, and 21% in the United Arab Emirates.
Globally, 391 million children and adolescents are overweight, with many of them falling into the obesity category. This condition sharply increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers later in life.
UNICEF warns that the surge in obesity is being fuelled not by personal choices, but by toxic food environments dominated by ultra-processed products high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. Aggressive marketing campaigns, especially through digital platforms, are giving food and beverage companies unprecedented access to young audiences.
The report calls for urgent reforms to ensure children have access to nutritious, affordable food and are protected from harmful industry practices.
