Number of obese and overweight teenagers will skyrocket in the next five years, experts warn

A looming health crisis is threatening teenagers, with nearly half a billion projected to be overweight or obese by 2030, according to a new report.

Experts from the the Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing warn that adolescent health worldwide is at a "tipping point," with shifting health concerns marking a significant change from previous decades.

While traditional threats like tobacco and alcohol use have seen a decline across the board, the report highlights a worrying rise in weight gain and mental health issues among adolescents.

The commission projects a staggering 464 million teenagers worldwide will be overweight or obese by 2030, a drastic increase of 143 million compared to 2015 figures.

The report also reveals a "significant decline" in teenage mental health over the past 30 years, further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This shift in dominant health concerns necessitates urgent action, the commission stresses, calling for a concerted effort to address the evolving challenges facing young people today.

The commission's findings underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to adolescent health, moving beyond traditional concerns to address the growing burden of obesity and mental health problems.

They warned that progress in teenage health has “lagged well behind” the improvements that have been made in the health and development of young children – with these benefits being at risk of being “undermined” with increased ill-health in teenagers.

They added that current funding is “not proportionate with the magnitude of the challenge”.

They wrote: “Adolescence can no longer be ignored… the time to act is now.”

The authors of the report also highlighted how the shift towards a “more digital world” could have a “profound impact on young people’s future health and wellbeing”.

But they warned against “overly restricting” access, saying there needs to be be a balance, highlighting that the online world offers teenagers new opportunities for social interaction, education, employment and health promotion.

Meanwhile, they pointed out that this generation of teenagers is the first to grow up among harsher climate conditions.

“Today’s adolescents are the first cohort of humans who will live their entire life experiencing the growing reverberations of climate change,” they wrote.

Commission co-chairwoman Professor Sarah Baird, from George Washington University in the US, said: “The health and wellbeing of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point, with mixed progress observed over the past three decades.

“Whilst tobacco and alcohol use has declined and participation in secondary and tertiary education has increased, overweight and obesity have risen by up to eight-fold in some countries in Africa and Asia over the past three decades, and there is a growing burden of poor adolescent mental health globally.

“Additionally, the challenges faced by the world’s adolescents are at risk of being exacerbated by emerging global issues including climate change, world conflicts and a rapid transition to a more digital world.

“Investing in the health and wellbeing of young people is crucial for safeguarding our collective future.”

The authors of the commission’s report point out that “investment in adolescent health will become increasingly important throughout the 21st century”, adding: “As populations age and fertility rates fall in even the poorest countries, ensuring the health and wellbeing of adolescents will be crucial to all countries’ health and prosperity.”