More than 419 million children and adolescents worldwide – roughly one in five – are living with obesity or are overweight, according to data released today, March 4, 2026, from the World Obesity Federation’s 2026 Atlas of Obesity. The report, coinciding with World Obesity Day, highlights a growing global health crisis with potentially devastating long-term consequences. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address childhood weight issues and prevent future health complications.
The Atlas projects a significant increase in these numbers, estimating that over 507 million children and adolescents globally will be affected by obesity or overweight by 2040. This rise is particularly concerning as childhood obesity often leads to health problems typically seen in adults, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
“The atlas shows how actions to tackle childhood obesity remain inadequate globally, with many countries falling short of the comprehensive set of policies needed for prevention, monitoring, screening and management,” the federation noted, calling for decisive action to reverse current trends.
The World Obesity Federation recommends a multi-pronged approach to combat the issue, including taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, restrictions on marketing targeted at children – including digital platforms – implementation of global physical activity recommendations for children, support for breastfeeding, healthier school food standards, and integration of obesity prevention and care into primary healthcare systems.
Brazil
In Brazil, 6.6 million children aged 5 to 9 are currently classified as overweight or obese. This number rises to 9.9 million among adolescents aged 10 to 19, bringing the total to 16.5 million Brazilian children and teens living with excess weight.
Data from 2025 indicates that nearly 1.4 million Brazilian children have been diagnosed with hypertension linked to their body mass index (BMI), even as 572,000 have been diagnosed with high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) also attributed to BMI. 1.8 million children exhibit elevated triglyceride levels related to BMI, and 4 million have been diagnosed with metabolic steatotic liver disease, a condition characterized by fat accumulation in the liver.
Projections for Brazil by 2040 are even more alarming, with estimates suggesting over 1.6 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 will be diagnosed with hypertension linked to BMI, 635,000 with hyperglycemia linked to BMI, 2.1 million with elevated triglycerides linked to BMI, and 4.6 million with metabolic steatotic liver disease.
Analysis
Bruno Halpern, Vice President of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Abeso), described the Atlas findings as a “frightening” increase in childhood obesity and overweight rates worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
“The consumption of foods that are nutritionally poor, ultra-processed, and inexpensive is growing exponentially. This disproportionately affects children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds within these countries,” Halpern explained.
“Brazil is no exception. We already knew two years ago that half of the children and adolescents in Brazil would be overweight or obese within ten years. The data is confirming this, and the rates are alarming,” he added.
Halpern, who is also a member of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM) and the President-elect of the World Obesity Federation for the 2027-2028 term, emphasized that obesity is a societal problem. “We have 8 billion reasons to act – the world’s population.”
“We need to move beyond the idea that obesity is an individual problem and understand that This proves now also a socioeconomic issue,” he said. “If half of children are going to be obese or overweight in a few years, it’s not just someone else’s problem; it’s a problem for all of us. Whether it’s your child, your sister’s child, or someone close to you, we will all be affected.”
“We need strategies to tax ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks, and we need to reduce advertising aimed at children. We also need to address maternal obesity, which the Atlas highlighted as a key area. Treating obesity in mothers may be a way to prevent obesity in their children in the future,” he concluded.
