A new study published in the Lancet reports that the levels of obesity in children and adolescents has risen 10-fold in the last 40 years.

The study pooled data from over 2,000 population-based studies including height and weight measurements for 31.5 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years.

Key findings from the study include:

• In 1975 there were 6 million boys and 5 million girls with obesity in the world
• In 2016 there were 74 million boys and 50 million girls with obesity in the world
• There was a 10-fold increase in the number of obese 5 to 19 year olds between 1975 and 2016
• A further 213 million children had a body mass index in the overweight category in 2016
• If current trends in the rise of obesity continue there will be more children and adolescents with obesity in 2022 than underweight

For more information take a look at our tips for maintaining a healthy weight.