Obesity now exceeds undernutrition among children and adolescents, warns UNICEF

Obesity has soared in recent years among children and adolescents, driven by junk food advertising, UNICEF warned on Tuesday, September 9. According to the UN agency, this year the phenomenon has even become the leading form of malnutrition among 5- to 19-year-olds worldwide, ahead of undernutrition.

"Today, when we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just referring to underweight children," comments the organization's boss, Catherine Russell. "Obesity is a growing concern that can impact children's health and development."

While the fight to reduce global hunger is partially bearing fruit, the prevalence of underweight among children and adolescents is on a downward slope, falling from 13 to 10% between 2000 and 2022 among 5- to 19-year-olds, according to data collected from 190 countries. But over the same period, overweight has skyrocketed: the number of 5- to 19-year-olds affected doubled between 2000 and 2022 (194 to 391 million). The increase is even more marked for obesity, a more serious form of overweight associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetes and certain cancers, and sometimes accompanied by low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Thus, in 2022, 8% of 5- to 19-year-olds worldwide (163 million) suffered from obesity, compared to 3% in 2000.

Based on the two opposite trends, UNICEF estimates that "2025 marks a historic turning point" : "For the first time, the global prevalence of obesity in school-aged children and adolescents exceeds that of underweight (9.4% versus 9.2%)." Thus, 188 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 are living with this chronic disease, according to these projections.

The first culprit: a toxic environment created by the ultra-processed food industry and its "unethical business practices" aimed at making profits, UNICEF blames. Children "are bombarded by unhealthy food marketing," including at school, where they are exposed to ultra-sweet drinks and ultra-processed snacks that are low in nutrients, Katherine Shats, one of the report's authors, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). These products are often less expensive than fresh foods, fruits, vegetables, or proteins, which they are gradually replacing in families' diets.

However, UNICEF insists that the fault lies neither with the children nor their families, but with a "failure of society ." The agency also rejects the "myth" surrounding sport: it is "impossible to escape the health consequences" of junk food "only through physical activity."

Historically, the prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents was higher in developed countries. It remains high, for example, in Chile (27% of 5-19 year-olds) and the United States (21%). But since 2000, the gap between rich and poor countries has narrowed, with obesity rates soaring in some Pacific islands, where imports are replacing traditional products, such as Niue (38%), the Cook Islands (37%), and Nauru (33%).

For some countries, it's even a double whammy, with the coexistence of undernutrition and obesity. As in some humanitarian crisis areas, where large companies in the sector "give away large quantities of junk food" to promote their image, and where hungry children find themselves with only access to foods that are harmful to their health, deplores Katherine Shats. "There is an urgent need for policies that help parents and caregivers access nutritious and healthy food," argues Catherine Russell.

UNICEF is calling on governments to take binding measures, such as advertising restrictions, taxes on sugary drinks and unhealthy foods, better dietary labeling, and policies to reorient the agri-food system towards the production of fresh produce.