World Obesity Atlas 2026: India Ranks Second in Childhood Obesity

According to the World Obesity Atlas 2026 nearly 15 million children aged 5- 9 and over 26 million aged 10–19 in India were overweight or obese in 2025.

• The World Obesity Federation predicts that by 2040, a total of 507 million children will be living with obesity or be overweight.
• World Obesity Day is observed  on March 4. 

About World Obesity Atlas 2026

• The Atlas presents a series of childhood obesity prevalence projections for the period 2025 to 2040

Key Findings

India Specific

• Rising High Body Mass Index (BMI):  India could have 41 million children with high body mass index (BMI) and 14 million living with obesity.
• Current Prevalence of Childhood Obesity: In India, altogether 14.9 million children in the five to nine age group and more than 26 million children in the 10-19 age bracket were overweight or obese in 2025.
• Future Projections:  Estimates suggest that 20 million children in India will be living with obesity and 56 million will be either overweight or living with obesity. 
• Growth of BMI-Related Health Conditions: Health conditions linked to high BMI among children are expected to rise:
  • Hypertension cases may increase from 2.99 million to 4.21 million.
  • Hyperglycaemia may rise from 1.39 million to 1.91 million.
  • High triglycerides may grow from 4.39 million to 6.07 million.
• India’s Global and Regional Position: India now ranks second globally in childhood obesity because of its population size. 
  • India also ranks first within the WHO South-East Asia Region with more than 45 million young people aged 0–19 overweight or living with obesity.

Key Risk Factors Linked to Rising Obesity

• Low Physical Activity Among Adolescents: About 74% of adolescents aged 11–17 years do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity, increasing the risk of obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases.

• Limited Coverage of School Meal Programmes: Only 35.5% of primary and secondary school children receive school meals, indicating gaps in nutritional support through institutional programmes
• Consumption of Sugary Drinks Among Children: Children aged 6–10 years consume an average of 0–50 ml of sugary drinks per day, reflecting the growing presence of unhealthy dietary habits.
• Sub-optimal Breastfeeding Practices: Approximately 32.6% of infants up to five months of age are sub-optimally breastfed, which can negatively affect early childhood nutrition and health.
• High BMI Exposure Among Women: Around 13.4% of women aged 15–49 years are exposed to high Body Mass Index (BMI), indicating rising risks of obesity and related non-communicable diseases.
• Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Women: About 4.2% of women aged 15–49 years are living with Type 2 Diabetes, reflecting growing metabolic health concerns among women of reproductive age.

Global

• Rising Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity: More than one in five (20.7 per cent) in the 5-19 age group are living with obesity or are overweight, an increase of 14.6 per cent since 2010.
• Of the eight countries projected to have more than 10 million children with high BMI, China, India and the US each had over 10 million children living with obesity.
  • China leads both categories, with 62 million children with high BMI and 33 million with only obesity, followed by India and the US (27 million high BMI; 13 million obesity).

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Suggestions to Prevent Obesity

• Strengthening Preventive Policies: Stronger prevention policies, including healthier school food environment, protection from the marketing of unhealthy foods and fiscal measures such as taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages need to be framed. 
• Opportunity for India to Lead Regional Action: India has the opportunity to lead the region in reversing obesity trends, but experts stress that immediate and decisive policy action is essential to change the current trajectory.
• Strengthening Preventive and Primary Healthcare Measures: Implementation of global physical activity recommendations for children, protection of breastfeeding and integration of prevention and care into primary health systems

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