Childhood malnutrition is rapidly shifting. UNICEF’s latest report reveals obesity has now overtaken underweight as the most prevalent form.
In 2025, one in ten school-aged children and adolescents—about 188 million globally—are living with obesity. The UNICEF report, Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children, draws on data from more than 190 countries worldwide.
Findings show underweight prevalence among children aged 5–19 dropped from 13 percent in 2000 to 9.2 percent in 2023. However, obesity rose from 3 percent to 9.4 percent in the same period, overtaking underweight in most global regions.
Regional Disparities in Childhood Obesity
The sharpest increases occur in Pacific Island nations. In Niue, 38 percent of school-aged children are obese, double the 2000 rate.
Cook Islands follow with 37 percent and Nauru with 33 percent, reflecting a rapid shift from traditional diets to imported ultra-processed foods. Meanwhile, high-income countries continue to struggle. Childhood obesity affects 27 percent in Chile, 21 percent in the United States, and 21 percent in UAE.
Nutrition Replaced by Processed Food
UNICEF stresses obesity is driven by unhealthy food environments rather than children’s personal choices or parental preferences.
Ultra-processed foods—high in sugar, refined starch, salt, unhealthy fats, and additives—now dominate supermarkets, restaurants, and even schools globally. Digital marketing gives food and beverage industries unprecedented influence, targeting children with advertisements for fast foods and sugary beverages.
Young People Targeted by Aggressive Marketing
A UNICEF U-Report poll of 64,000 young people across 170 countries showed widespread exposure to junk food advertising.
Three in four respondents recalled seeing ads for sugary snacks, drinks, or fast foods within the previous week. More than 60 percent admitted these advertisements increased their desire to consume unhealthy products, confirming marketing’s powerful effect on choices.
Even in conflict-affected countries, 68 percent of young respondents reported exposure to unhealthy food marketing campaigns.
Health Consequences of Childhood Obesity
Children are classified as overweight when significantly heavier than healthy ranges for age, sex, and height. Obesity, a severe form of overweight, places children at higher risk of life-threatening conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Over time, obesity contributes to insulin resistance, increased cancer risk, and impaired quality of life in adulthood.
Currently, one in five children and adolescents aged 5–19 globally—about 391 million—are overweight, with many now obese.
The Double Burden of Malnutrition
While obesity rises, undernutrition remains significant in low- and middle-income countries, especially among children under five years old. Many nations face a double burden of malnutrition, with stunting and wasting coexisting alongside rising childhood obesity rates.
This dual challenge strains healthcare systems and complicates policy responses, requiring targeted interventions for both undernutrition and overweight.
Economic Impact of Childhood Obesity
Obesity is not only a health crisis but also a massive economic burden.
UNICEF estimates countries could face lifetime costs exceeding $210 billion in Peru due to obesity-related health complications alone. Globally, the economic impact of overweight and obesity is projected to surpass $4 trillion annually by 2035.
These costs include healthcare spending, lost productivity, and reduced economic growth linked to non-communicable diseases.
Examples of Positive Policy Action
Some governments are acting decisively. In Mexico, where sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods make up 40 percent of children’s calories, action was urgent.
The government banned the sale and distribution of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat in public schools. This policy now positively impacts food environments for more than 34 million children nationwide. Such initiatives highlight the power of regulation to reshape diets and protect future generations.
UNICEF’s Recommendations for Governments
The report calls for immediate, comprehensive policies to transform children’s food environments worldwide.
Key recommendations include mandatory food labelling, marketing restrictions, and targeted food taxes and subsidies to reduce unhealthy consumption. Governments should ban junk food sales in schools and prohibit food industry sponsorship or marketing targeting school children.
Additionally, stronger social protection programs are needed to help vulnerable families afford nutritious diets. Finally, UNICEF urges safeguards against corporate interference in policymaking, protecting public health priorities over private profits.
Empowering Families and Communities
Policies must be paired with community initiatives that educate and empower parents, caregivers, and children to demand healthier choices. Social and behavior change programs can reduce dependence on ultra-processed foods and encourage consumption of fresh produce, proteins, and whole grains.
Civil society and local communities play a key role in creating awareness and advocating for systemic change.
A Global Call to Action
Obesity now surpasses underweight as the dominant form of child malnutrition, affecting millions and threatening future health and prosperity.
UNICEF urges governments to act swiftly, transforming food environments, curbing corporate influence, and ensuring access to nutritious, affordable food. As UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, “Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support growth and development.”