More than 170 million children worldwide suffer from obesity

The World Health Organization has reported that obesity is becoming increasingly widespread among children and adolescents worldwide. In 2024, over 170 million children aged 5–19 were registered with obesity.

According to data, this figure has increased nearly fourfold since 1990. About 70 million of those affected by obesity are children aged 5–9.

For the first time, WHO has developed special guidelines for treating childhood obesity. To solve the problem, the organization recommends increasing physical activity, improving dietary habits, and changing behavioral approaches.

At the same time, WHO does not recommend using special medications, surgical procedures, or weight-loss devices to treat obesity in children under 9 years of age.

The organization emphasizes that approaching the problem solely from a medical treatment perspective is not enough. Expanding opportunities for healthy nutrition and physical activity for children is also essential.

Earlier, the World Obesity Federation forecasted that by 2040, more than 500 million children worldwide could face overweight issues, with 227 million of them potentially suffering from obesity-related problems.