Warning that childhood obesity rising at an unprecedented rate
Latest figures estimate that for the first time in history, more children globally will be living with obesity than with underweight.
A new report has predicted that more than 220 million children could have obesity by 2040, unless urgent action is taken.
The recently published Obesity Atlas by the World Obesity Federation estimates that by 2040, around 227 million of all 5- to 19-year-olds will have obesity and more than half a billion will be overweight.
In 2025, the global figure was believed to be that around 180 million children were obese.
This equates to at least 120 million school-age children would have early signs of chronic disease caused by their high body mass index (BMI).
Someone is classed as obese if their BMI is 30 or above, and overweight if it is above 25.
The report found that obesity in childhood often continued into adulthood, increasing the risk of serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
The report highlighted that obesity risks can also be passed on from parents, including maternal overweight and obesity, diabetes, and smoking – factors all associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity.
The report examined each country and assessed what policies are in place to combat childhood obesity, including physical activity guidelines and exposure to fast food marketing.
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). The figures represent around two in five US children as having obesity or being overweight.
The UK was found to be among the worst performing countries in Europe with around twice the numbers of overweight and obese children as in France and Italy. A record rate of around 3.8 million children in the UK have high BMI according to the report.
In the UK it was reported that 1.205 million children aged 5–9 years were diagnosed as overweight or obese in 2025. For children aged 10–19, the figure was 2.572 million.
The report estimated that by 2040, 370,000 children aged between 5 to 19 in the UK were expected to have signs of cardiovascular disease, and 271,000 are estimated to show signs of hypertension.
The report highlighted 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.
A joint statement from Simón Barquera, President, World Obesity Federation and Johanna Ralston CEO, World Obesity Federation, said: “Childhood obesity is rising at an unprecedented rate, making it the focus of the World Obesity Atlas 2026. The prevalence of obesity among school-age children has increased from 4% in 1975 to nearly 20% in 2022.
For the first time in history, more children globally will be living with obesity than with underweight.
“The increases are fastest in low- and middle-income countries, where most of the world’s children live. Childhood obesity is no longer confined to high-income settings; it is a global social and economic development challenge. Without urgent action, rising obesity rates will place growing strain on health systems, communities and future generations.
“Beyond physical health, childhood and adolescent obesity also carries significant psychosocial consequences.”
They added: “Today, nearly three billion people are living with overweight and obesity, and projections show that nearly four billion people – half the global population – are expected to be living with overweight and obesity by 2035. But in reality, obesity at that scale affects all of society.
“The measures we take to address obesity will benefit every single one of us. The World Obesity Federation is seeking to change the story on childhood obesity from one of slow, inevitable increase to one of urgent, achievable action. Preventing childhood obesity, supporting those living with the condition, and building healthier food and health systems are shared responsibilities. The opportunity to change course exists – but action must accelerate now.”
Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, regional adviser for nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the World Health Organization in Europe, said that childhood obesity was a “failure of environments” and called for mandatory, rather than voluntary, marketing restrictions or front-of-pack labelling: “The majority of governments – including many in Europe – are allowing the food industry to target children without restriction. What we need is the political will to take action and stand up to industry interference.”
Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “The projected rise in early signs of heart disease and hypertension should be a wake-up call about the long-term consequences of continued government inaction.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are restricting junk food advertising on television before 9pm and at all times online – a move expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories per year from children’s diets – while giving local authorities stronger powers to stop fast food shops opening near schools.”
Read the World Obesity Federation Obesity Atlas
Read more on this topic: Landmark advertising ban will protect young people from exposure to junk food
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