Obesity Surpasses Underweight Among School-Age Children Globally

For the first time in history, obesity has surpassed underweight as the most common form of malnutrition among school-age children and adolescents globally, with 188 million affected, according to a UNICEF report. Since 2000, the prevalence of underweight children aged 5 to 19 has declined from nearly 13% to 9.2%, while obesity rates have nearly tripled from 3% to 9.4%, now exceeding underweight in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This rise is largely driven by unhealthy food environments dominated by ultra-processed and fast foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, aggressively marketed to children, influencing their diets and leading to increased risks of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. High-income countries like the United States, Chile, and the United Arab Emirates continue to report high obesity rates among children, while socio-economic disparities exacerbate exposure to unhealthy food in low-income communities, as seen in Ireland. UNICEF emphasizes that this trend reflects systemic failures rather than personal choices and calls for stronger policies to ensure all children have access to nutritious food vital for their growth and cognitive development.