"Globally, in 2025 about 180 million children were obese. But new figures from the World Obesity Federation suggest that by 2040, about 227 million of all 5- to 19-year-olds will have obesity and more than half a billion will be overweight. According to the federation's 2026 world obesity atlas, that would mean that at least 120 million school-age children would have early signs of chronic disease caused by their high body mass index."
"According to the report, 27 million 5- to 19-year-olds in the US have high BMI, behind only China (62 million) and India (41 million). That equates to two in five US children having obesity or being overweight. In the UK, about 3.8 million children have high BMI, a record making it among the worst performing countries in Europe, with around twice the numbers of overweight and obese children as in France and Italy."
"The report identifies significant regional inequalities. The 10 countries where more than half of school-age children are overweight or have obesity are all in the western Pacific region or the Americas, while the fastest growth in obesity rates is predominantly in low- and middle-income countries."
The World Obesity Federation's 2026 atlas projects that childhood obesity will surge from 180 million in 2025 to 227 million by 2040 among 5- to 19-year-olds, with over 500 million overweight. At least 120 million school-age children will show early signs of chronic disease. The US has 27 million children with high BMI, behind China and India. The UK faces a record 3.8 million affected children, among Europe's worst performers. By 2040, the UK expects 370,000 children with cardiovascular disease signs and 271,000 with hypertension. Obesity rates grow fastest in low- and middle-income countries, while over half of school-age children in ten countries are overweight or obese. The federation advocates for healthy environments through sugar taxes and advertising restrictions.
#childhood-obesity #public-health-crisis #chronic-disease-prevention #global-health-inequalities #policy-intervention
Read at www.theguardian.com
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