Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, May 21: The health of adolescents worldwide is at a critical juncture, warns a new analysis published by The Lancet Commission, projecting that by 2030, over 46 crore (464 million) adolescents globally will be obese marking a dramatic rise of 143 million from 2015.
According to the second major assessment on adolescent health since 2016, the global health landscape for youth aged 10–24 remains alarming. One-third of adolescents in high-income nations across Latin America and the Middle East are expected to be overweight, reflecting gaps in policy efforts to tackle adolescent obesity.
The analysis, drawing on 2021 Global Burden of Disease data, highlights that more than 1 billion adolescents will continue living in countries where they face a combination of preventable yet pressing health challenges including HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy, poor nutrition, depression, unsafe sex, and injuries.
Alarmingly, mental health disorders and suicide alone are projected to cost adolescents 4.2 crore years of healthy life by 2030 20 lakh more than in 2015.
Professor Sarah Baird, co-chair of the Commission from George Washington University, noted: “While we’ve seen declines in tobacco and alcohol use and greater access to education, obesity has skyrocketed up to eightfold in some Asian and African countries over the past 30 years.”
In addition to traditional risks, the report identified emerging threats such as climate change and increasing digital dependency. Today’s youth are the first generation to live in a world with average temperatures 0.5°C higher than pre-industrial times. By 2100, 1.9 billion adolescents could face life in a climate expected to warm by 2.8°C, leading to widespread food insecurity, water shortages, mental distress, and heat-related illnesses.
The Commission warned that without bold policy reforms, sustained financial investment, and global political commitment, over 1 billion adolescents in 2030 will still suffer from multiple preventable health burdens.
Professor Baird called for urgent global action: “We must invest in young people’s health and well-being now to protect our shared future.”