According to a major study by children’s charity organization, UNICEF, it was reported that there are currently more children in the world who are obese than underweight. It was estimated that about one in 10 of those aged between five and 19 years old across the globe are now thought to be affected by obesity. Obesity occurs when a person has excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk.
Researchers stressed that this could be a result of a shift from traditional diets to ultra-processed foods that are relatively cheap and high in calories. Being an agency of the United Nations, UNICEF is urging governments to protect children’s diets from unhealthy ingredients and stop the ultra-processed food industry from interfering in policy decisions.
While gathering data from more than 190 countries across the globe, researchers found that in the past 25 years, the number of overweight children has increased from 194 million to 391 million. According to the agency, a high proportion of those children were classified as obese, further raising concerns about their overall well-being.
In a statement made by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, she stated that “When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children. Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and development of children.” The agency warns that the health impacts and economic costs of doing nothing are potentially enormous.
Hence, there is a need for governments to take action, including on the labelling and marketing of food. The proper legal measures recommended to protect children’s diets include removing ultra-processed foods from school canteens, introducing taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks, and encouraging food producers to make changes to products to limit unhealthy ingredients and harmful substitutes.
