The ‘$18 trillion’ health crisis nobody is treating like an emergency: WHO warns global obesity rates doubled since 1990

35 million children under 5 are currently overweight, per WHO, while 2.5 billion adults (43 percent) are overweight, with 890 million living with obesity.

A shift in global health has reached a critical threshold, as more than one billion people worldwide were now living with obesity, according to a comprehensive report released by the World Health Organisation in December 2025.

2.5 billion: number of overweight people

The report painted a stark picture of a worsening public health crisis: adult obesity rates have more than doubled since 1990, while obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 has quadrupled. In total, 43 percent of adults 18 and older — some 2.5 billion people — were classified as overweight in 2022, with 890 million of them living with obesity.

The WHO classified obesity not as a lifestyle choice, but as a chronic, relapsing disease that stemmed from complex interactions among genetics, neurobiology, eating behaviours, and broader environment, driven by industrialised food systems, rapid urbanisation, and economic changes that limit access to healthy, affordable food.

The health consequences were already severe. The agency reported that in 2021, higher-than-optimal body mass index (BMI) caused an estimated 3.7 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, cancers, neurological disorders, and chronic respiratory illnesses.

A growing crisis among the young

The sharpest rise in weight-related health risks was occurring among children and teenagers. Per WHO, in 2022, over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were overweight — a rate of 20 percent, up sharply from just 8 percent in 1990. Within that group, the prevalence of obesity jumped from 2 percent (31 million young people) in 1990 to 8 percent (over 160 million young people) in 2022.

The crisis extended to early childhood. In 2024, an estimated 35 million children under the age of 5 were overweight. Per the WHO, public health officials shared that youth obesity carried immediate physical and mental health consequences, including early-onset type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risks, stigma, and school performance issues. Furthermore, children with obesity were significantly more likely to carry the disease into adulthood.

Poor nutrition during early childhood, paired with cheap, energy-dense foods high in fats, sugar, and salt, leaves children uniquely vulnerable. (Freepik)

The shift to low and middle-income nations

Once considered a problem confined to high-income nations, overweight and obesity are expanding rapidly in low- and middle-income regions, creating what the WHO termed a 'double burden of malnutrition'. In these developing markets, communities frequently battle undernutrition alongside a sudden surge in obesity. Poor nutrition during early childhood, paired with cheap, energy-dense foods high in fats, sugar, and salt, left children uniquely vulnerable.

Regional disparities were growing:

⦿ In the WHO 'Region of the Americas', overweight prevalence among adults reached 67 percent in 2022.

⦿ In the south-east Asia and African regions, the adult overweight rate stood at 31 percent.

⦿ In Africa, the number of overweight children under 5 years old has grown by nearly 12.1 percent since 2000.

⦿ Nearly half of all overweight or obese children under 5 in 2024 lived in Asia.

Astronomical economic costs

Beyond the human toll, the economic impact threatened to disrupt global development. The WHO warned that without decisive action, the global cost of overweight and obesity is projected to reach $3 trillion per year by 2030, swelling to more than $18 trillion annually by 2060.

Societal solutions over individual blame

The WHO said that curbing the epidemic required moving away from placing sole responsibility on individuals, noting that dietary and activity choices were heavily dictated by societal and economic environments.

To turn the tide, the report called for multisectoral structural changes, including:

⦿ Government regulation: enacting fiscal policies and regulations that make healthy food accessible, affordable, and desirable, while restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

⦿ Healthcare expansion: equipping primary health care systems to routinely screen height and weight, counsel patients, offer therapeutic and surgical interventions, and treat related comorbidities.

⦿ Food industry accountability: reformulating processed foods to cut fat, sugar, and salt, and ensuring healthy choices are affordable to consumers.

At the individual level, the agency recommended lifelong preventive measures, including maternal health, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, limiting screen time and sugar-sweetened beverages, and maintaining consistent physical activity. However, WHO stressed that individual choices can succeed only when governments create environments that make healthy living accessible to all.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.