India is facing an escalating childhood obesity crisis, ranking second globally for the number of children living with overweight and obesity, according to the World Obesity Federation’s World Obesity Atlas 2026, released on World Obesity Day (March 4). The report warns that the world is “failing” to halt the rise in childhood obesity, with most countries, including India, off track to meet global targets set in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
In 2025 alone, 14.9 million Indian children aged 5-9 years and 26.4 million adolescents aged 10-19 were living with overweight or obesity. The figures place India behind only China in overall numbers. Experts caution that without urgent prevention strategies, the burden of obesity-linked diseases such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease will surge dramatically by 2040.
India’s Rising Childhood Obesity Numbers
The Atlas estimates that 41 million school-age children (5-19 years) in India were living with high Body Mass Index (BMI) in 2025, including 14 million with obesity alone. Globally, more than one in five children (20.7%) aged 5-19 now live with overweight or obesity, up from 14.6% in 2010. By 2040, the number worldwide is projected to reach 507 million children, according to the Federation’s modelling.
The data draws on age-standardised prevalence estimates from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), which has previously published large pooled analyses in peer-reviewed journals such as The Lancet, showing a sharp global rise in childhood BMI over the past four decades.
China leads in absolute numbers, with 62 million children with high BMI and 33 million with obesity. India follows with 41 million high BMI cases, highlighting the scale of the public health challenge in lower- and middle-income countries where obesity rates are rising fastest.
Health Risks: Hypertension, Diabetes And Fatty Liver
The Atlas warns of a looming epidemic of obesity-related chronic disease among India’s children. Between 2025 and 2040, projections show:
- BMI-attributed hypertension rising from 2.99 million to 4.21 million cases
- Hyperglycaemia increasing from 1.39 million to 1.91 million
- High triglycerides climbing from 4.39 million to 6.07 million
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as NAFLD, rising from 8.39 million to 11.88 million
Globally, by 2040, over 57 million children are expected to show early signs of cardiovascular disease, and over 43 million may develop hypertension linked to excess weight.
The World Health Organization has consistently warned that childhood obesity significantly increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers later in life. According to WHO fact sheets, children with obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity, perpetuating a lifelong cycle of health risks.
Key Preventable Risk Factors In India
The Atlas identifies several modifiable drivers of obesity in India:
- 74% of adolescents (11-17 years) fail to meet recommended physical activity levels.
- Only 35.5% of school-age children receive school meals.
- 32.6% of infants aged 1-5 months experience sub-optimal breastfeeding.
- 13.4% of women aged 15-49 are exposed to high BMI.
- 4.2% of women in the same age group live with Type 2 diabetes.
The UNICEF and WHO have previously emphasised that poor nutrition, aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods, urbanisation, and sedentary lifestyles are major contributors to rising childhood obesity rates globally.
“We Have Failed To Take This Seriously”
On the occasion of releasing the World Obesity Atlas 2026, Johanna Ralston, Chief Executive of the World Obesity Federation, said: “The increase in childhood obesity worldwide shows we have failed to take seriously a disease that affects one in five children. Governments urgently need to step up prevention and management efforts.”
She stressed the importance of implementing evidence-based policies such as taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, restrictions on unhealthy food advertising to children (including digital platforms), promotion of physical activity, and protection of breastfeeding.
Research published in The Lancet Public Health and policy reviews by WHO have shown that sugar taxes can reduce consumption of sugary drinks, while marketing restrictions can limit children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising.
Also Read: 6 Signs You Are Facing Normal Weight Obesity Without Knowing It
Policy Gaps And Global Concerns
The Atlas concludes that action remains inadequate worldwide. Despite the extension of global targets to 2030, most countries are not on track. Notably, obesity among school-age children now exceeds underweight globally, a dramatic shift from previous decades.
The World Obesity Federation is urging integration of obesity prevention and treatment into primary health systems, stronger monitoring mechanisms, and whole-of-government approaches involving education, urban planning and food systems.
India‘s position as the world’s second-largest contributor to childhood overweight and obesity underscores an urgent public health crisis. With millions of children already affected and projections pointing to a steep rise in chronic diseases by 2040, experts say decisive policy action cannot be delayed. As the World Obesity Federation warns, failing to act risks condemning a generation to lifelong health complications, many of which are preventable with the right environmental and policy changes.
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