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. (Image: Pixabay/Representational)India now ranks second globally for children who are overweight and living with obesity after China, beating the US and other Western nations, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2026. Compiling figures till 2025, researchers estimated that India could have 41 million children with high body mass index (BMI) and 14 million living with 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. Worldwide, the atlas found that 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).What does the 2040 health map look like?The Atlas presents a series of childhood obesity prevalence projections for the period 2025 to 2040. Estimates suggest that in this period, 20 million children in India will be living with obesity and 56 million will be either overweight or living with obesity. In the same period, children aged 5-19 years are projected to develop risk factors associated with high BMI. This includes BMI-attributed hypertension increasing from 2.99 million to 4.21 million, hyperglycaemia from 1.39 million to 1.91 million and high triglycerides from 4.39 million to 6.07 million.What explains India’s ranking?“Most alarming is the pace of change. India is among the fastest-rising countries in the world for children who are overweight and living with obesity, with annual increases, on average, of almost five per cent. These trends are not inevitable — they are linked in large part to an environment that fails to provide access to healthy foods and activities,” Johanna Ralsom, CEO of World Obesity Federation and a global leader in non-communicable disease advocacy, told The Indian Express.Explaining India’s ranking, Ralsom said that 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.Childhood obesity exposes the young population to similar risks of chronic illnesses as adults, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that by 2040, over 57 million children will show early signs of cardiovascular disease (high triglycerides), while over 43 million will show signs of hypertension. The World Obesity Federation predicts that by 2040, a total of 507 million children will be living with obesity or be overweight.Story continues below this ad ndia 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.What’s triggering childhood obesity?As per the report, 74 per cent of adolescents aged 11 to 17 fail to meet recommended physical activity levels. Only 35.5 per cent of school-age children (primary and secondary) receive school meals. Children aged 6–10 consume an average of 0–50 ml of sugary drinks per day. Around 32.6 per cent of infants up to five months are breast-fed sub-optimally. About 13.4 per cent of women, aged 15–49, are exposed to high BMI. About 4.2 per cent of women between15 and 49 live with Type 2 diabetes.The World Obesity Atlas shows that urgent, coordinated action is needed to protect India’s future generation. 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. Early screening and care in primary health systems can also change this trajectory. “India has the opportunity to lead the region in reversing these trends but action cannot wait,” Ralsom added.The World Obesity Federation further warned that although the deadline to halt child obesity had been extended to 2030, most countries remain off track, India being no exception.Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Obesity