Childhood obesity has now officially surpassed underweight as the more prevalent form of malnutrition globally, a stark warning issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in its new report, "Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children." Globally, one in 20 children under five and one in five children and adolescents aged 5–19 are overweight. This alarming trend indicates a significant shift in global health challenges, with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell noting, "When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children."

The report reveals a dramatic change since 2000. While the prevalence of underweight among children aged 5–19 years has decreased from nearly 13 per cent to 9.2 per cent, obesity rates in the same age group have more than tripled, soaring from 3 per cent to 9.4 per cent. The number of overweight children in this age group has doubled from 194 million to 391 million, with a substantial portion now living with obesity. This rise means that obesity now exceeds underweight in every region worldwide, with the exceptions being sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Several factors contribute to this surge in childhood obesity. UNICEF attributes it to the growing availability of sweet, salty, fried, and sugary foods, coupled with aggressive junk food marketing. Food environments in shops and schools are increasingly saturated with unhealthy products. Digital advertising, in particular, offers the food and beverage industry unprecedented access to young audiences, shaping their food preferences from an early age and making these products harder to resist. A global UNICEF poll of 64,000 young people across over 170 countries found that 75 per cent had seen advertisements for sugary snacks, drinks, or fast foods in the past week, and 60 per cent admitted these ads made them crave the foods, even in conflict zones where exposure was reported by 68 per cent of young people.

The health implications of this trend are severe, as obesity, a more critical form of overweight, carries higher risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. Beyond individual health, the economic costs are staggering; without urgent interventions, obesity-related health problems could cripple economies, with global losses projected to exceed US$4 trillion annually by 2035. This figure, equivalent to about Sh516 trillion, underscores the immense burden on healthcare systems and national development.

High obesity rates are observed across various regions. Pacific Island nations lead globally, with 38 per cent of 5–19-year-olds affected in Niue, 37 per cent in the Cook Islands, and 33 per cent in Nauru—more than double their levels in 2000. High-income countries also face significant challenges, with 27 per cent of children in Chile, 21 per cent in the US, and 21 per cent in the UAE living with obesity.

Kenya, like many nations, is grappling with a "triple burden" of malnutrition, encompassing undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising overweight and obesity. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS), 18 per cent of children under five are stunted, 10 per cent are underweight, and 3 per cent are overweight or obese, with Nyeri, Nyamira, Kisii, and Nairobi counties recording higher rates at 6 per cent. Furthermore, 42 per cent of pregnant women suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. A particularly worrying trend is the rapid rise in overweight and obesity among school-aged children and adolescents, fuelled by reduced physical activity and increasing consumption of unhealthy diets. Among adolescents aged 15–19, 13 per cent of girls are overweight or obese compared to 2 per cent of boys. UNICEF warns that Kenya could see more than one million children aged 5–19 living with obesity by 2030 if current trends continue.

In response to this global and national crisis, UNICEF is calling for urgent multisectoral and transformative action to protect children’s right to food and nutrition. Recommendations include mandatory food labelling, restrictions on marketing unhealthy products to children, banning junk food sales in schools, strengthening social protection programs to ensure nutritious diets are affordable for vulnerable families, and taxes on unhealthy products. Catherine Russell reiterated that "nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development. We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children."

Kenya's Ministry of Health has introduced the Kenya Nutrient Profile Model (KNPM), developed with stakeholders to guide food policies aimed at promoting healthier diets and reducing diet-related non-communicable diseases. The KNPM helps identify foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, supports clearer labelling on pre-packaged foods, and restricts the marketing of unhealthy products, particularly those targeting children. This strategic step is designed to protect consumers, especially children, from junk food marketing and contribute to Kenya’s broader goals of food system transformation and improved public health nutrition, vital for reversing adverse health gains and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.