A new Lancet study shows obesity and mental health problems are now the biggest problems facing younger people as half a billion teens across the globe are predicted to be overweight by 2030
Junk food has taken over cigarettes and alcohol as the main cause of ill health among teenagers, a Lancet review suggests.
Experts predict half a billion teenagers around the world will be overweight or obese by 2030 while weight gain and mental health problems are now the biggest health dangers for the young. The Lancet Commission found adolescent health is at a “tipping point”. It reports that mental health among teenagers has seen a “significant decline” over the past three decades, which was exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis. It also projects that 464 million teenagers around the world will be overweight or obese by 2030 – 143 million more than in 2015.
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.”
The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey estimated last October that about six million adults smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2023, the lowest proportion since records began in 2011.
The Lancet report said: “Adolescence is a time of dramatic growth in human intelligence and cognitive capability. It is also the period when lifetime behavioural habits and patterns are forged—for good and for bad. Globally, 83% of lifetime smokers begin smoking by age 24 years.
“Substantial progress has been made in reducing health risks related to substance use (ie, binge drinking and tobacco smoking) across all regions. Targets set in 2016 are likely to be met by 2030 for female adolescents and might be met for male adolescents.
“Progress towards meeting targets related to nutritional risk has been much less impressive. The risk of overweight and obesity has substantially increased across all regions.”
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 a balance, highlighting that the online world offers teenagers new opportunities for social interaction, education and employment.
The report said: “Adolescence is also well recognised as a time of risk for mental health – three quarters of lifetime mental disorders have their onset before the age of 24 years.”
Professor Baird added: “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.”