WHO says childhood and adolescent obesity has quadrupled worldwide since 1990

The World Health Organization says obesity among children and adolescents has quadrupled since 1990, with the condition now affecting an estimated 170 million young people worldwide.

According to the UN health agency, the prevalence of obesity among 5-to-19-year-olds rose from roughly 2% in 1990 to about 8% in the most recent data cited. The figures place childhood and adolescent obesity among the fastest-growing health concerns tracked by the organization over the past three decades.

A global trend

The WHO's findings point to a broad, worldwide pattern rather than one confined to a single region or income level, reflecting shifts in diet, physical activity and food environments that health officials have linked to rising obesity rates in young people across many countries.

Childhood obesity is associated with a higher risk of a range of health conditions later in life, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, according to public health research the WHO and other bodies have published in the past. It can also affect children's mental health and social development.

The organization has previously called on governments to adopt measures such as restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food to children, improved nutrition labeling and greater investment in physical education, though the specific policy recommendations tied to this latest data were not detailed in the report cited.

The WHO's data is drawn from its ongoing global monitoring of nutrition and health indicators among children and adolescents.