- A major study by UNICEF has found that 10 per cent of children across the globe are now obese, exceeding the number of underweight children for the first time.
- The report, titled 'Feeding Profit: How food environments are failing children', indicates that approximately 391 million children are currently overweight, a figure that includes those who are obese.
- UNICEF is urging governments to implement measures to protect children, including removing ultra-processed foods from school canteens and banning related companies from involvement in policy development.
- While the prevalence of underweight children has declined since 2000, global obesity rates have significantly increased, surpassing instances of being underweight in most regions except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- The sharp rise in childhood obesity is attributed to a shift towards cheaper ultra-processed foods, with the global economic impact of overweight and obesity projected to exceed US$4 trillion annually by 2035.
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