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More children obese than underweight globally, UN report says

Sep 10, 2025, 6:48am EDT
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Hand weights and coloring books for patients sit on a shelf at a US clinic.
Callaghan O’Hare/Reuters

There are more obese children than underweight ones in the world today, new United Nations figures suggested.

Data found that 9.4% of children are obese, up from 3% in 2000, while the underweight percentage fell to 9.2% from 13%. Being obese is more prevalent than being underweight in all regions of the world except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Despite concerns about feeding a growing global population in the face of a changing climate, along with famines being declared in Sudan and Gaza, the number of calories consumed per person increased by 35% worldwide between 1960 and 2022 and shows no signs of slowing.

A chart showing child stunting rates in Africa and South Asia.
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