As childhood obesity overtakes undernutrition in Indonesia and globally, health experts warn of a surge in long-term health costs, urging urgent policy action to combat the rising tide of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles among children.
Intan Permatasari’s childhood in Indonesia became a lesson in how quickly excess weight can reshape a life. By the age of four, she had already outgrown her school uniforms, and by 12 she had stopped attending classes after relentless bullying left her isolated and afraid to go outside.
Her story sits at the centre of a wider public health shift now gripping much of the developing world. Reuters reported that in low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia and South America, childhood obesity is rising alongside stubbornly high levels of undernutrition, creating what experts call a double burden. In some countries, obesity is climbing even as it levels off in richer nations.
That pattern is increasingly visible in the data. A WHO-backed project involving more than 1,000 scientists found the fastest recent increases in boys in Peru and in girls in Tonga and Samoa. In Indonesia, obesity among boys and girls rose by more than half a percentage point in 2024, the largest absolute increase recorded so far. UNICEF has also said that, globally, overweight and obesity among school-age children now exceed undernutrition for the first time.
For families such as Intan’s, the consequences are both physical and emotional. Her mother, Siti Rukoyah, said her daughter’s cravings for fried snacks and sweet foods were hard to resist, and that frustration at home often mirrored the torment she faced at school. Doctors warn that children with obesity face higher risks of diabetes, heart disease, asthma and other long-term conditions, while the mental toll can be severe.
Health specialists say Indonesia is a stark example of a rapid “nutrition transition”, in which cheap processed food has displaced scarcity but not improved diet quality. Researchers cited by Reuters said the country’s modern grocery shelves are dominated by products that fall short of healthier standards, while the marketing of packaged food to children remains widespread. Public health experts also point to sedentary habits, easy access to foods high in sugar and fat, and a lack of awareness about the dangers of obesity.
The economic stakes are considerable. The World Health Organisation says the costs linked to overweight and obesity could reach $3 trillion by 2030 if governments fail to act. UNICEF’s Indonesia office has warned that inaction will bring a heavy bill in healthcare, productivity losses and long-term illness, and has urged measures including taxes on unhealthy foods, front-of-pack labels and tighter restrictions on marketing to children.
In Indonesia, the scale of the problem is now impossible to ignore. Reuters reported that obesity has overtaken undernutrition among Indonesian children and teenagers, affecting one in five of the country’s 60 million school-age children. Yet officials say public awareness remains low. Intan, now 15, has lost weight, returned to school and dreams of becoming a police officer. Her recovery is personal, but the wider challenge remains national: how to protect children from both too little food and too much of the wrong kind.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
