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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Low- and middle-income countries are now battling a "double burden" of childhood obesity and undernutrition simultaneously. A WHO-backed study tracking 200 countries found obesity rates among children are accelerating fastest in places least equipped to handle it. Indonesia — home to 60 million school-age kids — has become a stark symbol of this shift, where obesity now outpaces undernutrition for the first time.
Low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia, and South America are grappling with a troubling "double burden": rapidly rising childhood obesity alongside persistently high rates of undernutrition. A WHO-backed project involving over 1,000 scientists across 200 countries found that the epicenter of the childhood obesity epidemic has shifted to nations least equipped to handle it — and the pace is accelerating.
Indonesia is a prime example. Obesity among school-age children now exceeds undernutrition rates, making it the most populous nation after China and the U.S. to cross that threshold. Experts blame a rapid "nutrition transition" — from food scarcity to an abundance of cheap, ultra-processed foods — happening in under 20 years, compared to decades in wealthier nations. Only 21% of food products in Indonesia's modern grocery stores meet a "healthy" threshold, far below the 41% average in other assessed countries.
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Why it matters: Experts warn that hard-won gains from vaccines and infectious disease treatment could be undermined by a growing wave of non-communicable disease. Without urgent policy action on food quality, public awareness, and affordable treatment access, millions of children in developing nations face lifelong risks of diabetes, heart disease, and mental health challenges.
