Adolescents are facing a global health crisis that’s only getting worse
By 2030, nearly half a billion young people worldwide could be living with obesity or overweight, marking a sharp decline in adolescent health.
Anna Bawden reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- The Lancet commission warns that adolescent health is reaching a “tipping point,” with rising rates of obesity, mental illness, and climate-related risks.
- High-income regions and parts of Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East already see more than a third of young people dealing with obesity or overweight.
- While smoking and alcohol use are down, progress on youth health has been undermined by COVID-19 and chronic underfunding.
Key quote:
“The rise in obesity and related diseases is not just a matter of individual choices – it’s the result of environments flooded with health-harming products including ultra-processed food, alongside policies that fail to protect young people.”
— Johanna Ralston, CEO of the World Obesity Federation
Why this matters:
Public health infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with what young people now face. Obesity, mental illness, and climate threats are piling up for the next generation, and they’re hitting young people early and hard. Without investment in adolescent health, there's a real risk of locking in poor outcomes that echo into adulthood — impacting everything from chronic disease to economic opportunity.
Read more: Untangling the causes of obesity
