Childhood Obesity and Long-Term Health Outcomes

Childhood obesity represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of the twenty‐first century, with prevalence having risen dramatically across all regions. Excess adiposity in early life is associated with a spectrum of adverse outcomes extending into adulthood, including insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. These metabolic perturbations promote accelerated atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and thromboembolic events later in life. Moreover, early‐onset obesity is linked to psychosocial sequelae such as reduced self-esteem and elevated risk of depression, which can compound physiological risk factors. Evidence indicates that patterns of weight gain—whether persistent obesity from childhood, rapid increases during puberty or rebound weight gain after relative lean periods—have differential effects on long-term health. A life-course perspective emphasises that interventions delivered in early childhood and during the pubertal window may yield substantial benefits. Global forecasts suggest that without immediate action, obesity prevalence will continue to climb, exacerbating the burden of non-communicable diseases and straining health systems worldwide. Coordinated strategies encompassing nutritional guidance, physical activity promotion, behavioural support and policy measures are essential to curb this trajectory and mitigate long-term sequelae.

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Childhood Obesity and Long-Term Health Outcomes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in childhood obesity and long-term health outcomes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Body mass index (BMI): A measure of body fat calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE): A condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein, commonly presenting as deep‐vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.

Arterial thromboembolism (ATE): The obstruction of an artery by a blood clot, leading to ischaemic events such as myocardial infarction or ischaemic stroke.

Coronary heart disease (CHD): A cardiovascular condition characterised by atherosclerotic narrowing of the coronary arteries, which can result in angina, heart attack or cardiac death.

References

1. Global, regional, and national prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet (2025).
2. Overweight in childhood and young adulthood increases the risk for adult thromboembolic events. Journal of Internal Medicine (2023).
3. Birth Weight, Childhood and Young Adult Overweight, and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men. Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (2023).
4. BMI increase through puberty and adolescence is associated with risk of adult stroke. Neurology (2017).