Health Check More children are obese than underweight
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Sep 17, 2025 Laura Foster, a BBC health reporter, sheds light on a troubling UNICEF report revealing that childhood obesity has surged to overtake underweight cases globally. She discusses the implications and necessary policy changes. Sen Nguyen, a BBC journalist based in Bangkok, dives into the durian import dispute, highlighting health risks from dye and cadmium contamination. They also touch on the latest Ebola outbreak response and the innovative Delphi-2M AI tool, aimed at predicting various diseases. This conversation is a fascinating exploration of pressing health issues.
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Childhood Malnutrition Has Flipped Globally
- UNICEF reports a global crossover: 9.4% of children are now obese versus 9.2% underweight.
- That equates to 188 million obese and 184 million underweight children worldwide, showing a major nutrition shift.
Rapid Rise In Childhood Obesity
- Childhood obesity rose from 58 million in 2000 to 188 million now, jumping from 3% to 9.4%.
- When combined with overweight children, 391 million young people are above healthy weight, a huge public-health burden.
Early Obesity Harms Development
- Childhood obesity harms physical and mental development, raising risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
- Poor childhood nutrition can also impair brain growth and long-term mental health.