• Obesity surpasses underweight globally, affecting 188 million children aged 5-19.
• Ultra-processed foods and aggressive marketing are key contributors to rising obesity rates.
• UNICEF calls for urgent government action to improve children's diets and food environments.
• Rates of obesity have increased from 3% in 2000 to 9.4% in 2022 among children.
• Low and middle-income countries are experiencing the steepest rise in obesity rates.

According to a UNICEF report, obesity has now surpassed underweight as the leading form of malnutrition worldwide among children and teenagers, marking a significant global health crisis. The report reveals that nearly one in ten children aged five to 19, equivalent to approximately 188 million individuals, are now living with obesity, highlighting the alarming shift in nutritional challenges from undernutrition to obesity in many regions, particularly in developed nations, and increasingly in low-income areas, according to BBC, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

The report attributes the rising prevalence of obesity to the increasing availability of ultra-processed foods, which are often marketed aggressively to children. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell indicated that children's diets are being heavily influenced by these unhealthy products, which are replacing more nutritious options such as fruits and vegetables. "When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children," she stated, advocating for immediate action to address these dietary disparities, according to India Times and Reuters.

UNICEF's analysis found that the prevalence of obesity among children has increased significantly from just 3% in 2000 to 9.4% in 2022, while rates of underweight have decreased from 13% to 9.2%. This alarming trend represents a "historic turning point" in the global nutritional landscape. Additionally, it was highlighted that 20% of children between ages 5 and 19 are now classified as overweight, signaling a broader crisis affecting not just wealthy nations but also low and middle-income countries where access to healthy foods is equally problematic, according to BBC, Al Jazeera, and India Times.

UNICEF reports further emphasize the need for urgent governmental interventions, including restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods to children and implementing policies that encourage the production and accessibility of fresh, nutritious produce. The agency pointed out that the food and beverage industry's extensive influence has resulted in environments that fail to support healthy choices for children. "It's the result of toxic food environments," said a UNICEF representative, urging nations to establish robust safeguards against the industry's harmful practices, according to BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.