Overweight and obesity are defined as above-normal body weight for height as a result of excessive fat accumulation. In children under five years of age, overweight is defined as weight-for-height greater than two standard deviations above the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2022).
Overweight and obesity are complex and multifaceted problems. While genetics can increase an individual’s susceptibility to overweight, it cannot explain population-level increases over time. Intrauterine growth, infant feeding and eating habits during preschool years are significant determinants of child overweight, which increase the risk of obesity in adulthood (WHO, 2014). This form of malnutrition results from energy intakes from food and beverages that exceed children’s energy requirements. Children with overweight have also an increased risk of NCDs later in life.
The prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age in Africa was 4.9 percent in 2022, which is below the global estimate of 5.6 percent. The prevalence is considerably higher in Northern Africa and Southern Africa compared to other subregions.
The trend in overweight prevalence is clearly upwards in Northern Africa since 2015, indicating a worsening condition, while the opposite is observed in Southern Africa (FIGURE 14). Since 2015, the prevalence of overweight among children remained nearly unchanged in Central Africa, Eastern Africa and Western Africa (TABLE 9). The continent as well as the Central Africa and Northern Africa subregions are off track for meeting the 2030 WHA target for overweight in children due to lack of progress. Eastern Africa and Southern Africa are off track as well despite some progress, and Western Africa has already achieved the target.
The prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age in Southern Africa is much higher than the global estimate, and South Africa and Botswana had the highest prevalence in that subregion (FIGURE 15). There is nonetheless variability within the subregion as the prevalence in Namibia and Lesotho is much lower, around 5 percent and 7 percent, respectively. In Central Africa, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have the highest overweight prevalence as is the case for Comoros and Seychelles in Eastern Africa, and Egypt, Libya and Tunisia in Northern Africa. Overall, a significant number of countries experienced an increase in the prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age between 2000 and 2022 (FIGURE 15).
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2020 | 2022 | |
| World | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| Africa | 6.2 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| Central Africa | 5.8 | 6.4 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Eastern Africa | 5.4 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Northern Africa | 10.4 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 12.3 |
| Southern Africa | 11.1 | 11.4 | 12.1 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 11.4 |
| Western Africa | 4.5 | 4.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
