Growing well: Evidence and action on childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is now a global crisis. Since 2000, the number of school-age children and adolescents living with overweight has more than doubled, increasing from 194 million to 391 million. As documented in World Obesity’s Global Obesity Observatory, the steepest increases are occurring in low- and middle-income countries. According to a new report from UNICEF, for the first time in history, there are now more school aged children and adolescents globally living with obesity than they are living with underweight. 

Childhood obesity is an urgent public health issue. Children living with obesity face increased risks of several other NCDs and conditions including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease, asthma and sleep apnea, joint and liver problems. Childhood and adolescent obesity also has adverse psychosocial consequences; it affects school performance and quality of life, compounded by stigma, discrimination and bullying. Children with obesity are very likely to remain living with the disease throughout their lives, and are also at a higher risk of developing NCDs in adulthood.

Childhood obesity is a complex disease driven by social, environmental, genetic and biological factors, requiring a whole-of society response. As maternal obesity is a key risk factor, efforts to prevent childhood obesity cannot be separated from wider policies to ensure equitable access to obesity prevention and care. We need multisectoral approaches across health, food, education, technology and other sectors, working with children, their parents, communities, educators and influencers. 

As recognition of the problem grows, so does the evidence base on what works to address childhood obesity in different contexts. This webinar will explore the current trends in CHO, alongside effective policy approaches, with real-world examples of successful strategies and lived experience perspectives.