Spain bucks global trend as child obesity rates dip
2.1 million kids affected but numbers set to fall further
Spain stands out in the latest World Obesity Atlas 2026, released today on World Obesity Day, as one of just 15 countries worldwide to see a drop in childhood obesity and overweight rates among 10 to 19 year olds between 2010 and 2025. While over 2.1 million school-aged children here are still overweight or obese, the prevalence fell from 32.5% (2,204,437 kids) in 2010 to 30.5% (2,111,758) last year, with projections showing even lower figures by 2040.That's good news amid a worrying global picture, where 20.7% of children and teens aged five to 19 now live with obesity or are overweight, up from 14.6% in 2010. The report forecasts 507 million affected kids by 2040, with over 180 countries missing WHO targets to halt the rise. In Spain, 735,000 of those kids are aged five to nine, and 1.3 million are 10 to 19. Related health issues hit hard too: an estimated 154,000 have BMI-linked hypertension, 225,000 show high triglycerides raising heart risks, 433,000 have fatty liver disease, and 71,000 face elevated blood sugar.
This positive shift in Spain aligns with steps like mandating 80% healthy snacks in hospital vending machines, announced last December to cut junk food access. Nationally, efforts to limit ultra-processed foods in schools and hospitals are also gaining ground, part of a wider push beyond public facilities.
Magdalena Wetzel, policy and advocacy manager at the World Obesity Federation, notes a slowdown here. "Rates remain high, but they are decelerating," she told 20minutos, adding that high-income countries like Spain have "already gone through this transformation of their food systems" and other factors keeping levels steady rather than rising.
Dr Diego Bellido, president of Spain's Society for the Study of Obesity, sees hope but calls for more. He suggests boosting nutritional education in schools and creating public spaces for activity to tackle sedentary habits.
"Obesity is multifactorial and needs a multisectoral response," Wetzel stresses, framing it as a societal issue shaped by environment, not just personal choice. Other nations reducing rates include Russia, Canada, the US, Italy, Greece, Ireland and Greenland, while middle-income countries like Vietnam and India see sharp increases.
Image: digital representation
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