Africa Knowledge Management Portal
Informing health decisions and actions
Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity: implementation plan
Health Risk Environment
Food and Nutrition
Description
The prevalence of infant and young child obesity is increasing in all countries, with the most rapid rises occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The number of overweight or obese young children globally increased from 31 million in 1990 to 42 million in 2015. In the African Region alone over the same period, the number of overweight or obese children under 5 years of age increased from 4 million to 10 million. Childhood obesity is associated with several health complications, premature onset of illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, continued obesity into adulthood and an increased risk of noncommunicable diseases.