CHILD NUTRITION REPORT 2025 – UNICEF

Current Context: UNICEF has released the Child Nutrition Report 2025, warning of a sharp global rise in unhealthy diets and childhood obesity, largely due to ultra-processed foods (UPF) and aggressive marketing.

Relevant data :

• Overweight & Obesity:
  • 5% children under 5 years overweight.
  • 20% children and adolescents (5–19 years) overweight (double since 2000).
  • In 2025 → Obesity prevalence: 9.4%, Underweight: 9.2% (school-age children & adolescents).
• Regional Concentration:
  • More than half of affected children are in East Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, South Asia.
  • In South Asia, overweight among 5–19 years increased fivefold since 2000.
• Key Drivers:
  • Availability & Affordability: UPFs cheaper than nutritious foods due to subsidies & long shelf-life.
  • Aggressive Marketing: Digital promotions, influencer ads, surrogate advertising.
  • Policy Gaps:
    • Only 7% countries have mandatory front-of-pack labelling.
    • Only 8% countries provide subsidies for healthy food.