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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial |
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ARTICLE VIEW: |
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More of the world’s children are now obese than underweight, UNICEF |
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warns |
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By Amy Woodyatt, CNN |
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Updated: |
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10:03 AM EDT, Wed September 10, 2025 |
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Source: CNN |
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More school-age children and adolescents are now than underweight, a |
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new report from the United Nations’ children’s agency, UNICEF, has |
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revealed, with 188 million young people affected. |
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now exceeds underweight in all regions of the world except sub-Saharan |
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Africa and South Asia, researchers found, having studied data from more |
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than 190 countries. |
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Obesity occurs when a person has excessive fat accumulation that |
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presents a health risk, according to the . Children are deemed |
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overweight when they are “significantly heavier than what is healthy |
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for their age, sex and height,” UNICEF noted, adding that obesity is |
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a severe form of overweight that leads to a higher risk of insulin |
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resistance, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular |
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disease and cancer. |
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Studying data from more than 190 countries, researchers found that in |
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the past 25 years, the number of overweight children has doubled from |
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194 million to 391 million. Of those, a high proportion are classified |
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as obese, the agency said. |
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The highest rates of obesity are seen in some Pacific Island nations, |
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including 38% of 5- to 19-year-olds in Niue, 37% in the Cook Islands, |
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and 33% in Nauru. |
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High-income countries also had high levels of obesity, including 27% |
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5- to 19-year-olds in Chile, and 21% in both the United States and the |
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United Arab Emirates. |
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Excluding sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, obesity now exceeds |
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underweight in all regions, researchers said, with ultra-processed and |
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fast foods that are high in sugar, refined starch, salt, unhealthy fats |
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and additives being targeted at and consumed by children. |
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“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about |
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underweight children,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell |
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said in a statement. |
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“Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and |
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development of children. Ultra-processed food is increasingly replacing |
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fruits, vegetables and protein at a time when nutrition plays a |
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critical role in children’s growth, cognitive development and mental |
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health,” she added. |
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Researchers noted that in high-income countries, overweight tended to |
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be more common among children and adolescents in poorer households, |
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eating nutrient-poor, unhealthy diets. However, in low-income |
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countries, children were more likely to be overweight if they were from |
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wealthier families who could afford larger quantities of food, |
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including energy-dense food. In middle-income countries, the presence |
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of overweight in children spanned all income categories, with |
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ultra-processed foods and drinks more widely available. |
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The prevalence of underweight children aged 5-19 has declined since |
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2000, from nearly 13% to 9.2%, researchers added, but they noted that |
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undernutrition was still a “significant concern” among children |
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under 5 in most low- and middle-income countries. Undernutrition can |
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present as wasting, or stunting, the report added. |
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