Childhood obesity crisis: 220 million kids may be affected by 2040, report warns

The World Obesity Federation has shed light on the childhood obesity crisis happening across the world in its recent report.

As per report, around 220 million of 5-19-years-old children could face obesity by 2040 if no proper measures were taken to stop this anathema.

The 2026 report also warns that by 2040 roughly 120 million school-age children would show early signs of permanent and chronic health issues, including heart issues and diabetes due to their high body mass index (BMI).

In 2025, about 180 million children were obese globally. According to Johanna Ralston, the World Obesity Federation’s chief executive, such a disturbing uptick in childhood obesity highlights the failure of the global community to take the issue seriously.

“It is not right to condemn a generation to obesity and the chronic and potentially fatal non-communicable diseases that often go with it,” she said.

The report also categorized the countries based on BMI. Among all the countries, China tops the list with 62 million affected kids followed by India (41 million) and the US (27 million).

When it comes to Europe, the UK is facing the worst crisis with about 3.8 million children having high BMI. By 2040, 370,000 children aged between 5 to 19 in the UK are expected to have signs of heart disease, and 271,000 are estimated to show signs of hypertension.

The report also highlights the effects of inequalities on the number of obese children. The low-and-middle income countries have witnessed exponential rise in obesity cases over the years.

Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, regional adviser for nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the World Health Organization, said “The majority of governments – including many in Europe – are allowing the food industry to target children without restriction.”

“What we need is the political will to take action and stand up to industry interference,” he added.