Over 220M children will be obese by 2040, report warns
What's the story
A new report from the World Obesity Federation (WOF) has warned that without drastic action, more than 220 million children could be obese by 2040. The federation's 2026 world obesity atlas shows that in 2025, some 180 million children were already classified as obese. The World Obesity Federation's report warns that by 2040, an estimated 227 million children aged between five and 19 could be obese.
Health implications
At least 120 million school-age children will show early signs
This would mean at least 120 million school-age kids would show early signs of chronic diseases linked to high body mass index (BMI). A person is considered obese if their BMI is over 30 and overweight if it exceeds 25. WOF chief executive Johanna Ralston said the rise in childhood obesity worldwide demonstrated a failure to treat the issue seriously. "It is not right to condemn a generation to obesity...and potentially fatal non-communicable diseases that often go with it."
Global statistics
US, UK among countries with highest rates of childhood obesity
The report also highlights that the US and UK have some of the highest rates of childhood obesity. In the US, 27 million children aged between five and 19 have a high BMI, according to the study. This is second only to China (62 million) and India (41 million). In the UK, around 3.8 million children fall into this category, making it one of Europe's worst-performing countries in terms of childhood obesity rates.
Health risks
Report predicts sharp rise in cardiovascular diseases, hypertension
The report also predicts that by 2040, some 370,000 children aged between five and 19 in the UK could show signs of cardiovascular disease. Another 271,000 are expected to show signs of hypertension. The report also highlights stark regional disparities in childhood obesity rates. It says that all 10 countries with the highest proportion of overweight or obese school-age children are in the western Pacific region or the Americas.
Disparities
Experts recommend creating healthier environments to tackle issue
Meanwhile, low- and middle-income countries are seeing the fastest growth in obesity rates. To tackle this issue, experts recommend creating healthier environments through measures like sugar taxes and restrictions on junk food advertising. Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said childhood obesity was "not inevitable." "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," she said.