Health
For the first time, there are more children in the world who are obese than underweight
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
For the first time in history, more children are obese than underweight, a shift UNICEF says is putting millions of kids at risk of life-threatening disease.
The UN agency’s analysis, which covered data from more than 190 countries between 2000 and 2022 and projections since, found that one in 10 school-aged kids — about 188 million worldwide — is obese under World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
Meanwhile, one in five children under 19 years old globally – or 391 million – is overweight. Kids are considered overweight if they carry excess weight for their age, sex and height, while obesity is a more severe form that greatly increases the risk of serious health problems later in life.
CUTTING OUT ONE FOOD TYPE COULD NEARLY DOUBLE WEIGHT LOSS, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS
Between 2000 and 2022, global obesity rates among those aged five to 19 more than tripled, jumping from 3% to 9.4%. During the same period, the prevalence of underweight children fell from nearly 13% to 9.2%.
One in 10 children globally is living with obesity, putting them at risk of life-threatening diseases. (iStock)
“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children,” UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a press release.
“Ultra-processed food is increasingly replacing fruits, vegetables and protein at a time when nutrition plays a critical role in children’s growth, cognitive development and mental health,” she warned.
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS GET MORE THAN HALF OF CALORIES FROM ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS, CDC FINDS
While undernutrition is still a significant problem, obesity is now more common almost everywhere except South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The report highlights obesity hotspots and found that levels have doubled since the 2000s, especially in low- and middle-income countries, even as they still struggle with undernutrition. In small Pacific Island nations like Niue and the Cook Islands, nearly 40% of young people are obese.
Children still face malnutrition in the form of being both underweight and overweight, according to UNICEF. (iStock)
Meanwhile, in wealthier countries, where ultra-processed foods make up more than half of adolescents’ calories, high levels of obesity persist. Twenty-seven percent of five-to-19-year-olds in Chile are living with obesity, while rates in the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates stand at 21%.
DIABETES STUDY REVEALS DIAGNOSIS GAP AFFECTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
In wealthier nations such as the U.S., doctors are increasingly backing the use of new weight-loss drugs in teenagers as a tool to combat the crisis.
“Obesity is not a failure of parents or children. It’s the result of toxic food environments,” author, professor and UNICEF backer Chris Van Tulleken told Reuters.
Obesity leads to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as life-threatening diseases later in life, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, according to the report.
Obesity has now surpassed underweight as the most common form of malnutrition among young kids, UNICEF warns. (iStock)
In addition to ultra-processed foods, especially those high in salt, sugar and fat, experts blame the aggressive marketing of junk food.
MORE IN HEALTH NEWS
A survey of 64,000 young people conducted by the agency in 170 countries revealed that 75% had seen ads for sugary drinks, snacks or fast food in the prior week. Even in conflict zones, 68% reported being exposed to this kind of advertising. Sixty-five percent of respondents in low-income countries were exposed to them, too, including at school, on social media, at sporting events and in cartoons.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. this week unveiled the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report on childhood health, which warns that ultra-processed foods, sedentary behavior and a host of environmental and dietary factors are fueling rising obesity and chronic disease in American children.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
It said the administration would explore the development of potential industry guidelines to limit direct advertising of unhealthy foods to children.
UNICEF is urging governments to take swift action on unhealthy food environments. (iStock)
UNICEF is urging governments worldwide to urgently impose restrictions on junk food marketing and ban unhealthy products in schools.
In Mexico, where childhood and adolescent obesity is common and sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods account for 40% of kids’ daily calories, the government recently banned the sale and distribution of ultra-processed foods and items high in salt, sugar and fat in public schools, UNICEF noted.
The agency warned that without swift action, the trend threatens to fuel a surge in diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems among the next generation.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Simple measurements taken during routine blood pressure checks could predict dementia risk years before symptoms appear.
That’s according to new research presented this week at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in Louisiana.
The findings draw on two studies led by researchers at Georgetown University, which suggest that monitoring how blood vessels age and stiffen over time can provide a window into future cognitive health.
LURKING DEMENTIA RISK EXPOSED BY BREAKTHROUGH TEST 25 YEARS BEFORE SYMPTOMS
Data shows rates of dementia and aging-related cognitive decline are expected to increase as populations age, and half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (hypertension).
Scientists believe that efforts to better address hypertension, a key contributor to heart disease and a risk factor for dementia, could affect both cardiac and brain health.
Data shows rates of dementia and aging-related cognitive decline are expected to increase as populations age. Meanwhile, half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. (iStock)
“Blood pressure management isn’t just about preventing heart attacks and strokes; it may also be one of the most actionable strategies for preserving cognitive health,” Dr. Newton Nyirenda, the study’s lead author and an epidemiologist at Georgetown University in Washington, said in a press release.
The research focused on two metrics, the pulse pressure-heart rate index and estimated pulse wave velocity. Both were calculated using data collected during standard doctor visits, such as heart rate, age and blood pressure.
“Blood pressure management isn’t just about preventing heart attacks and strokes; it may also be one of the most actionable strategies for preserving cognitive health.”
Researchers examined five years of data patterns for more than 8,500 people in the SPRINT trial, a large study of adults 50 years and older with hypertension. In the follow-up, 323 of the participants developed probable dementia.
HIDDEN BRAIN CONDITION MAY QUADRUPLE DEMENTIA RISK IN OLDER ADULTS, STUDY SUGGESTS
In one study, the team found the pulse pressure-heart rate index was a strong independent predictor of dementia risk in adults over 50. For participants under 65, every one-unit increase was associated with a 76% higher risk of developing dementia.
For participants under 65, an increase in the pulse pressure-heart rate index was associated with a 76% higher risk of developing dementia. (iStock)
The second study found that adults with consistently elevated or rapidly increasing pulse wave velocity were more likely to develop dementia than those with stable velocity, even after accounting for factors like smoking, gender and cardiovascular history.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“Our findings suggest that vascular aging patterns may provide meaningful insight into future dementia risk,” said Nyirenda. “This reinforces the idea that managing vascular health earlier in life may influence long-term brain health.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The team emphasized that clinicians should tailor risk assessments and treatment strategies to the individual.
Further studies are needed to confirm these parameters and determine whether changing vascular aging trajectories reduces dementia risk. (iStock)
“You don’t want to wait until a patient starts manifesting cognitive decline before you act,” said senior study author Sula Mazimba, an associate professor at the University of Virginia.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Researchers noted the study could not establish causation. Other limitations included the fact that participants already had hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risk, meaning the findings may not apply to people without those conditions.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether improving blood vessel health over time could reduce dementia risk.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A dangerous substance dubbed “gas station heroin” continues to alarm medical professionals, with more states making moves to restrict or ban tianeptine.
Fourteen states have officially classified the tricyclic antidepressant as a Schedule I controlled substance.
Connecticut is the latest state to crack down, officially banning the sale and use of the substance starting on Wednesday.
HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE AVAILABLE IN STORES ACROSS THE NATION
Tianeptine, which can produce euphoria in higher doses, can be more potent than morphine and addictive opioids, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Some countries have taken steps to restrict how tianeptine is prescribed or dispensed, and have even revised the labels to warn people of its potential addictive qualities.
Tianeptine can be more potent than morphine and addictive opioids. (iStock)
Misuse of tianeptine can cause severe adverse health effects, including respiratory depression, severe sedation and death, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Some companies market the drug as an aid for pain, anxiety and depression, or as a means of improving mental alertness in a pill, powder, salt or liquid form.
The products are typically sold at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and online retailers, and go by names like Tianaa, ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and TD Red.
Connecticut is the 15th state to classify tianeptine as a Schedule I controlled substance. (Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said in a press release that the schedule change is a necessary step to combat addiction.
“With false marketing that led consumers to believe these are safe products, and with candy-like flavor options, these substances posed a clear threat to those battling substance-use disorder and our youngest residents,” she added.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Nutmeg State also added Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), 7-hydroxymitragynine, Bromazolam, Flubromazolam, Nitazenes and Phenibut to the schedule classification.
Earlier this month, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary penned a letter sounding the alarm on what he called a “dangerous and growing health trend.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
“I am very concerned,” Makary wrote. “I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the serious and continuing risk it poses to America’s youth.”
New York-based Robert Schwaner, M.D., vice chair of system clinical affairs at Stony Brook Emergency Medicine, told Fox News Digital that the FDA has never approved tianeptine as a dietary supplement.
“As with heroin and other opioids, significant mu-opioid receptor stimulation ultimately results in a loss of respiratory drive and subsequent cardiac arrest.” (Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office)
“The euphoria at low doses is primarily due to increased serotonergic activity from its serotonin reuptake effects. With increasing doses, the mu-opioid receptor stimulation may become lethal,” said Schwaner. “As with heroin and other opioids, significant mu-opioid receptor stimulation ultimately results in a loss of respiratory drive and subsequent cardiac arrest.”
Schwaner said he believes the substance requires national regulation due to its addictive qualities.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“Acting at the same receptor as opioids, tianeptine has the potential for an individual to develop tolerance, subsequent dependence and withdrawal from its use,” he cautioned.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
ND State Fair completes 2026 grandstand lineup with EDM artist Zedd, ‘Turn Up ND!’
Thousands head to Columbus for 23rd annual Home Improvement Show at Ohio Expo Center
Oklahoma City Comets preliminary 2026 roster
Merkley Announces Additional Oregon Town Halls April 2-4
Pennsylvania-born indie rockers Tigers Jaw return with new album release
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: Will ICE Change Under Its New Leader?
DHS shutdown breakthrough comes at cost for Republicans as funding fights nears end
Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day
A surprise resignation could open the door for an independent to win a Montana Senate seat
Video: Savannah Guthrie Says She Believes Her Mother Was Taken for Ransom
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Science1 week agoHow a Melting Glacier in Antarctica Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Science1 week agoI had to man up and get a mammogram
-
Sports6 days agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico5 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Business1 week agoDisney’s new CEO says his focus is on storytelling and creativity
-
Texas1 week agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets