Table 3.

Time trends in the combined prevalence (%) of overweight and obesity in preschool-age children aged 0 – 5 years for the years from 1990 to 2010 and projections for 2015 and 2020, by United Nations (UN) region.^a

UN region and sub-region	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010	2015	2020
Global	4.2	4.6	5.1	5.8	6.7	7.8	9.1
Developing countries	3.7	4.0	4.5	5.2	6.1	7.2	8.6
Developed countriesb	7.9	8.8	9.7	10.6	11.7	12.9	14.1
Africa	4.0	4.7	5.7	6.9	8.5	10.4	12.7
East	3.9	4.4	5.1	5.8	6.7	7.6	8.7
Middle	2.5	3.4	4.7	6.4	8.7	11.7	15.5
North	6.1	8.0	10.3	13.3	17.0	21.4	26.6
Southern	10.2	9.5	8.8	8.2	7.6	7.0	6.5
West	2.2	2.9	3.8	4.9	6.4	8.3	10.6
Asiac	3.2	3.4	3.7	4.2	4.9	5.7	6.8
East	4.8	4.9	5.0	5.1	5.2	5.3	5.4
South central	2.3	2.6	2.9	3.2	3.5	3.9	4.3
South-east	2.1	2.6	3.1	3.8	4.6	5.6	6.7
West	3.0	4.5	6.8	10.1	14.7	21.0	29.1
Latin America and Caribbean	6.8	6.8	6.8	6.9	6.9	7.0	7.2
Caribbean	4.6	5.1	5.6	6.2	6.9	7.6	8.3
Central America	4.8	5.3	5.9	6.5	7.2	8.0	8.8
South America	8.0	7.7	7.4	7.1	6.8	6.5	6.3
Oceaniad	2.9	3.1	3.2	3.3	3.5	3.6	3.8

Data source: de Onis et al. (2010).

^aAll surveys included both boys and girls. Cross-sectional data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity were obtained from national nutrition surveys. A total of 450 nationally representative surveys were available from 144 countries. Of the 450 surveys, 413 were conducted in developing countries and 37 in developed countries. About 38% of the surveys (171 surveys) were conducted between 1991 and 1999, 16% (70 surveys) were conducted before 1991, and 46% (209 surveys) after 1999. Linear mixed-effects models were fi t to estimate prevalence rates and numbers of affected children by region from 1990 to 2020. Overweight and obese statuses were defi ned based on > 2 standard deviations (SDs) from the weight-for-height median.

^bIncluding Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

^cExcluding Japan.

^dExcluding Australia and New Zealand.