UNICEF Report 2025: Obesity Surpasses Underweight for the First Time Among Children and Adolescents

Global childhood obesity reaches 9.4% — surpassing underweight (9.2%) for the first time; 1 in 20 under-fives and 1 in 5 adolescents are overweight, as obesity among 5–19-year-olds triples since 2000.

In 2025, the world reached a historic and alarming milestone — for the first time, the prevalence of obesity among school-aged children and adolescents has surpassed that of underweight.

According to the UNICEF report “Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children”, obesity has become the most prevalent form of malnutrition, affecting 1 in 10 children (or 188 million) worldwide.

This development highlights the urgent need for global action to transform food systems, promote healthy diets, and protect children from the harmful influence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

Global Overview: The New Face of Malnutrition

The UNICEF report draws on data from over 190 countries and reveals that one in twenty children under five years (5%) and one in five children and adolescents aged 5–19 years (20%) are living with overweight.

Obesity among this age group has tripled since 2000, rising from 3% to 9.4%, while underweight has declined from nearly 13% to 9.2%. Thus, 2025 marks the first year obesity (9.4%) has overtaken underweight (9.2%).

This global shift reflects changing food environments and dietary transitions, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where traditional diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains are being replaced by cheap, energy-dense, imported foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated,

“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children. Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and development of children.”

Regional Disparities and Global Hotspots

Obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.Some of the highest obesity rates globally are found in Pacific Island countries, where traditional diets have been displaced by processed imports:

• Niue: 38% of 5–19-year-olds

• Cook Islands: 37%

• Nauru: 33%

These rates have doubled since 2000. In high-income countries, obesity remains high — 27% in Chile, 21% in the United States, and 21% in the United Arab Emirates.

Understanding Key Terms

• Overweight: When a child weighs significantly more than what is considered healthy for their age, sex, and height.

• Obesity: A severe form of overweight associated with higher risks of insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

• Ultra-processed foods (UPFs): Industrial formulations containing refined starches, sugars, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives, designed for convenience and long shelf life, but poor in nutrients.

Factors Driving the Rise in Childhood Obesity

1. Shift to Unhealthy Diets:

   Children’s diets are increasingly dominated by ultra-processed and fast foods, aggressively marketed through digital platforms. These foods replace nutrient-rich meals like fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

2. Economic Factors:

   UPFs are cheaper than fresh produce, partly due to agricultural subsidies for ingredients such as corn, soy, and wheat. Their longer shelf-life and low cost make them more accessible to low-income families.

3. Processed Foods in School Meals:

   According to the 2024 Global Survey of School Meal Programs, one in four school meal programmes serves processed meats, and many include sweets, deep-fried foods, and sugary drinks.

4. Physical Inactivity:

   Urbanization, limited open spaces, and sedentary lifestyles have reduced physical activity levels among children and adolescents.

5. Genetic Factors:

   Some forms of obesity are influenced by genetic variants or metabolic disorders, making individuals more susceptible to weight gain.

6. Weak Policy Frameworks:

   Only 7% of countries have mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and just 8% provide food subsidies for healthy foods.

Global and National Impact

1. Double Burden of Malnutrition

   Countries like India face a dual challenge — the coexistence of undernutrition (stunting and wasting) and overweight/obesity. This phenomenon is termed the “double burden of malnutrition.”

2. Health Consequences

   Childhood obesity significantly increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers later in life. It also contributes to mental health issues, including low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

3. Economic Costs

   The global economic impact of obesity is projected to exceed US$4 trillion annually by 2035.For example, in Peru, obesity-related health issues may cost US$210 billion over a lifetime due to rising healthcare and productivity losses.

Case Studies and Positive Policy Actions

Some governments are implementing proactive measures:

• Mexico: Facing high childhood obesity rates (40% of children’s calories from ultra-processed foods), Mexico banned the sale of junk food and sugary drinks in schools, positively impacting over 34 million children.

• UNICEF Poll (2024): A global survey of 64,000 young people aged 13–24 revealed that 75% had seen advertisements for sugary drinks or snacks in the past week, and 60% said these ads increased their desire to consume such foods — underscoring the pervasive influence of digital food marketing.

India’s Situation: Rising Trends in Obesity

Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) shows a steady rise in obesity across age groups:

• Children (Under 5 years): 1.5% (NFHS-3, 2005–06) → 3.4% (NFHS-5, 2019–21)

• Adolescents:

  • Girls: 2.4% → 5.4%

  • Boys: 1.7% → 6.6%

• Adults:

  • Women: 12.6% → 24.0%

  • Men: 9.3% → 22.9%

These numbers reflect an alarming urban and lifestyle transition, compounded by increased processed food consumption and reduced physical activity.

Government Initiatives in India

To combat malnutrition in all its forms, India has launched several initiatives:

• POSHAN Abhiyaan: A national mission to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, and mothers.

• Eat Right India Movement: Promotes safe, healthy, and sustainable diets through consumer awareness and school interventions.

• ‘Aaj Se Thoda Kam’ Campaign: Encourages gradual reduction in fat, sugar, and salt intake.

• RUCO Initiative: Collects and repurposes used cooking oil to prevent its reuse in food chains.

Global Policy Frameworks and SDG Linkages

• WHO and UNICEF frameworks advocate for taxation of sugary drinks, marketing restrictions, and healthy school environments.

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4 aims to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, making childhood obesity control a key intervention area.

UNICEF’s Recommendations for Action

UNICEF urges governments, civil society, and private sectors to take comprehensive, mandatory steps to improve children’s food environments:

1. Implement strong food policies:

   • Mandatory nutrition labelling, marketing restrictions, and tax/subsidy reforms to promote healthy foods.

2. Promote social and behavioural change:

   • Empower communities to demand nutritious diets and reject unhealthy marketing.

3. Ban junk food in schools:

   • Prohibit sales, sponsorships, and marketing of ultra-processed foods within school premises.

4. Protect policymaking from industry interference:

   • Safeguard against lobbying by the ultra-processed food industry.

5. Strengthen social protection schemes:

   • Ensure affordable nutritious food through cash or food transfers for vulnerable families.

Way Forward

Tackling childhood obesity requires a holistic, multi-sectoral approach that integrates health, education, agriculture, and economic policy.

• Promote nutritious foods through local food systems and subsidies.

• Protect breastfeeding, as per the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, to ensure healthy early nutrition.

• Encourage physical activity via national movements like Fit India and Khelo India.

• Increase public awareness about the dangers of junk food and the importance of balanced diets.

• Legally regulate unhealthy food marketing, such as imposing a 40% GST on sweetened carbonated drinks.

The UNICEF 2025 report underscores that obesity has replaced underweight as the dominant form of malnutrition among children and adolescents — a shift that redefines global nutrition challenges. As UNICEF warns, “Without urgent intervention, countries will face lifetime health and economic impacts.” Combating childhood obesity will require strong policies, education, equitable access to healthy food, and societal behaviour change.

Ensuring healthy, active, and well-nourished children is not just a health imperative — it is essential for building a productive, sustainable, and equitable future.

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