Obesity: for the first time more children fatalities than underweight

According to UNICEF, severe overweight replaces underweight for the first time than the most common form of malnutrition in children and adolescents. According to the UNICEF nutritional report, underweight in children between the ages of 5 and 19 has decreased from around 13 percent to 9.2 percent since 2000, while obesity rose from 3 percent to 9.4 percent.

In this way, obesity occur more frequently in most regions of the world than underweight-with the exception of Subsahara Africa and South Asia. As UNICEF Germany announced in Cologne, the UNICEF nutritional report relies on data from over 190 countries and includes household surveys, modeled estimates, forecasts and surveys.

In many countries with high incomes, the proportion of obese children and adolescents is very high, for example 27 percent of 5 to 19 year olds in Chile, 21 percent in the USA and also 21 percent in the United Arab Emirates.

According to Unicef, the numbers in Germany are relatively constant. Every fourth German child between the ages of 5 and 19 is therefore overweight, with a slightly increasing trend: from 24 percent in 2000 to 25 percent in 2022. The proportion of obese children in this age group is eight percent.

“When we talk about malnutrition, it is no longer just about underweight children,” summarizes the results. “Obesity is a growing problem that can affect the health and development of children. Strongly processed foods increasingly replace fruit, vegetables and proteins in a phase of life, in the nutrition a decisive role in growth, cognitive development and psychological health of children.

The report warns that heavily processed foods and fast food are often inexpensive to get inexpensive and are aggressively marketed. In addition, the marketing of the food and beverage industry through digital channels influences the young audience very effectively.

The consequences of overweight go far beyond health risks: According to Unicef, overweight children are missing more often at school, have problems with their self -esteem and are exposed to bullying more frequently. Once in childhood or adolescence, obesity is difficult to undo it and often remain until adulthood.

The report emphasizes Mexico as a positive example. There, the government recently banned the sale and distribution of heavily processed foods and products with high salt, sugar and fat content in public schools. Over 34 million children benefited.