WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI): report on the sixth round of data collection, 2022– 2024

Overview

Unhealthy bodyweight in children affects physical and mental health, school performance and quality of life, while also raising the risk of obesity and noncommunicable diseases later in life. Reliable data are essential to guide action against childhood obesity and to track progress. To this end, WHO established the European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) in 2007. This is now the largest childhood obesity surveillance initiative in the world, with the participation of 48 countries in 2024. This report presents findings from COSI’s sixth round (2022–2024), covering about 470 000 children aged 6–9 years across 37 countries, with additional information on family and health behaviours for over 150 000 children. Overall, 25% of children aged 7–9 years were living with overweight (including obesity) and 11% with obesity. Large differences continue in prevalence between countries, with the prevalence of overweight ranging from 9–42% and prevalence of obesity ranging from 3–20%. Unhealthy dietary habits were common, and only about half of children travel actively to school. These findings highlight that childhood obesity continues to pose a serious public threat to the Region and underscore that comprehensive policy action is urgently needed at international, national and local levels.