Obesity trends in children globally
The prevalence of obesity has been increasing worldwide among children and adolescents over the past 40 years. There is some evidence that overweight and obesity rates among children and adolescents’ have begun to plateau, at high levels, since about 2000, but the trends are uneven across socio-economic groups within high income countries, and the increase continues to accelerate elsewhere, particularly in parts of Asia.
Key Evidence
Around the world, 5.6% of girls and 7.8% of boys were living with obesity in 2016
Obesity rates vary dramatically between countries and regions, with some of the highest rates in pacific island countries
383 million children and adolescents are predicted to be living with obesity by 2035
Childhood obesity around the world
World Obesity estimates that in 2020, 175 million children aged 5–19 years were living with obesity globally (8% of girls and 10% of boys).1
Detailed data from 2016 showed that more than 30% of girls in Nauru, the Cook Islands, and Palau were living with obesity; and the same was true for boys in the Cook Islands, Nauru, Palau, Niue, and American Samoa. Overall, there were 50 million girls and 74 million boys worldwide with obesity in 2016.2
These maps, collated by the international non-communicable disease Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), show the global variation in prevalence of obesity for boys and girls at ages 5 and 19 years.3
A snapshot of childhood obesity
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128.9 million children, adolescents, and adults. The Lancet, 2017; 390(10113):2627-2642.
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2017). Child & Adolescent Body-Mass Index - global data. from http://www.ncdrisc.org/data-downloads-adiposity-ado.html
Global trends in childhood obesity
After controlling for age, the global prevalence of obesity for girls increased from 0.7% in 1975 to 5.6% in 2016, and 0.9% to 7.8% for boys, while rates of underweight decreased for both boys and girls over this time.3
The transition of low and middle income countries from traditional diets to Western-style diets high in sugar and fat products has been described as the ‘nutrition transition’.4 The prevalence of obesity is relatively low in many low and middle income countries (LMICs), but is rapidly increasing over time. This has been driven by a transition away from traditional diets to more 'western' style diets characterised by highly processed foods high in sugar and fat. This means many LMICs are living with the double burden of under and over nutrition, leading to poorer educational and diet-related health outcomes across the life course.2
Global trends in childhood obesity among boys
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. ncdrisc.org (Accessed on 27 July 2023)
Note: Obesity defined as BMI >2 standard deviations above the median for age and sex, according to international reference.
Global trends in childhood obesity among girls
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. ncdrisc.org (Accessed on 27 July 2023)
Note: Obesity defined as BMI >2 standard deviations above the median for age and sex, according to international reference.
Content for this page was written by Melanie Nichols, Deakin University and reviewed by Kathryn Backholer and Gary Sacks, Co-Directors at the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition at Deakin University. For more information about the approach to content on the site please see About | Obesity Evidence Hub.