A third of the world’s children will be obese or overweight in the next 25 years

Julia Musto
·2 min read
A third of the world’s children will be obese or overweight in the next 25 years

Obesity rates are forecast to skyrocket within the next quarter of a century, with a third of the world’s children and adolescents expected to be overweight or obese by 2050.

Significant increases are predicted within just the next five years, researchers at the Australia-based Murdoch Children’s Research Institute said Monday.

“This giant burden will not only cost the health system and the economy billions, but complications associated with a high Body Mass Index (BMI), including diabetes, cancer, heart problems, breathing issues, fertility problems, and mental health challenges, will negatively impact our children and adolescents now and into the future, even holding the potential to impact our grandchildren’s risk of obesity and quality of life for decades to come,” Dr. Jessica Kerr said in a statement.

Researchers warned Monday that skyrocketing obesity rates would result in an unfortunate outcome for the world’s youth. A third of children and adolescents could be overweight or obese in just 25 years (Getty Images)
Researchers warned Monday that skyrocketing obesity rates would result in an unfortunate outcome for the world’s youth. A third of children and adolescents could be overweight or obese in just 25 years (Getty Images)

Kerr is one of the lead authors of the international analysis, which was published in the journal The Lancet.

The predictions come as the global obesity rate for individuals between the ages of five an 24 has already tripled from 1990 to 2021. As of that year, 493 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese, the institute pointed out.

Approximately one in five U.S. children and adolescents have obesity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Children with obesity are at a higher risk for asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure.

Children with obesity are also more likely to be obese as adults. Adults with obesity have a higher risk of stroke, many types of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, premature death, and mental illness.

If plans are not developed to prevent the rise of being overweight and obesity, the consequences could be dire. Children with obesity are at a higher risk for risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes (Getty Images)
If plans are not developed to prevent the rise of being overweight and obesity, the consequences could be dire. Children with obesity are at a higher risk for risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes (Getty Images)

This comes as more than half of adults are expected to face the same predicament during that timeframe, Kerr and her co-authors noted. They said that the number of Nigerians who are obese or overweight are projected to more than triple from 2021 to 2050.

If immediate action plans are not developed, she said that the future is bleak for our youth. Older girls between the ages of 15 and 24 are a priority for intervention going forward.

“Despite these findings indicating monumental societal failures and a lack of coordinated global action across the entire developmental window to reduce obesity, our results provide optimism that this trajectory can be avoided if action comes before 2030,” she said.