Dear MEL Topic Readers,
More of the world’s children are now obese than underweight, UNICEF
warns
The good news is that the percentage of underweight children aged 5-19
has declined to 9.2% from 13% in the last 25 years, according to recent data
from over 190 countries by the UNICEF, the UN children’s agency. In the
meantime, the number of overweight children increased by nearly 200 million to
391 million. Also found was that obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions
but sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the poorest regions. The study also
found that in low-income countries, children of wealthy families are more likely
to be overweight, but in high-income countries, more overweight children are
found in poor households because they often grow up with more processed,
unhealthy diets. It seems that as highly processed foods, like snacks and packaged
meals, and sugary drinks become easily accessible and affordable, children tend
to become overweight. In fact, overnutrition is a form of malnutrition. Childhood
obesity is a serious health issue that increases a child's risk of
developing adult-onset chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
and certain cancers. As children spend more time gazing at smartphones at home and
spend less time exercising outside, proper nutrition and diet are now more essential
for their healthy growth.
Read the article and learn about how children are becoming overweight
around the world.
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