Burden of childhood obesity in Pacific Islands Countries and Territories
Anthony Okely, Sarah T. Ryan, Sumantla Varman, Rebecca Bogarobu Emori, Olivier Galy, Rachel Novotny · 2026
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Description
Okely and colleagues measured in 2026 the burden of childhood obesity across twenty-two Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Rates there rank among the highest in the world. As the first paper in a three-part series, it gathered prevalence data for children aged two to about twelve. Twenty-nine studies, covering more than 33,000 children in all, were included.
Prevalence varied hugely, from about three percent in the Marshall Islands to over half of children in Wallis and Futuna and American Samoa. Polynesian and Micronesian countries showed the highest rates, often several times the global average. Obesity generally rose with age and was often higher in boys than girls. Pacific Islander children faced the greatest risk among ethnic groups. The authors call the pattern a region-wide epidemic needing stronger surveillance and culturally grounded prevention.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Anthony Okely, Sarah T. Ryan, Sumantla Varman, Rebecca Bogarobu Emori, Olivier Galy, Rachel Novotny |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 99 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |