Valentina Palmisano· The Left

Confirmed

Today one in four European children lives overweight.

Omissions

• The data refers specifically to children aged 6-9 years, not all European children
• The WHO data covers 37 European countries (including non-EU countries), not exclusively EU Member States
• The data period is 2022-2024, not 2026 specifically
• The WHO report was published in November 2025, which was available before the March 2026 claim date
• The data shows wide variation across countries - not all countries have 25% rates

Sources

• PrimaryWHO Europe - Childhood obesity and overweight report 2025One in four young children are overweight, including one in 10 who are obese (25% overweight prevalence among children aged 6-9 years across 37 European countries)
• PrimaryWHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) Report - Sixth RoundCOSI round 6 (2022-2024) covering approximately 470,000 children aged 6-9 years across 37 countries
• SecondaryEuronews - WHO report on childhood obesity in EuropeOne in four young children are overweight, including one in 10 who are obese, according to the WHO COSI survey