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For the first time, the global prevalence of obesity has surpassed that of underweight among children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years). UNICEF’s 2025 Nutrition report reveals how unhealthy food environments are contributing to a rapid worldwide surge in childhood overweight and obesity. A 2019 Lancet Series has already highlighted the double burden of malnutrition in children as the new nutrition reality. These latest UNICEF data support that development The increase in obesity is particularly concerning in children younger than 5 years, because early obesity in children can affect the development and growth of every single body system, and is a catalyst for lifelong poor health and higher risks of mortality.
