Rising childhood obesity is likely to increase consumer health awareness in developing countries

Childhood obesity continues to rise globally, aggravating an already concerning global public health crisis.

According to research recently published by Imperial College London and the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of obese children (ages five to 19) has risen from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016. This increase is most pronounced in developing countries where the rise in access to cheap energy-dense foods is creating a large population of obese children.

In response to obesity concerns many countries and municipalities have instituted sugar taxes or sugar limiting regulation: Mexico, Singapore, and France all have implemented measures aimed at limiting consumption of carbonated drinks. The UK will also institute a tax on sugary carbonated drinks starting April of next year.

The effects of such taxes are mixed – some experts say that the tax does reduce sugar consumption while others say that consumers simply adapt and eventually return to their previous levels of sugar consumption. Furthermore, these measures don’t address other sources of sugar and fat such as cakes or chips.

But sugar taxes may at least raise awareness of the problem. Concern around obesity is high globally even as childhood obesity continues to rise. Developing countries and regions show the highest concern around obesity. According to GlobalData’s Q4 2016 global consumer survey, concern is highest in Latin America where 63% of the population is concerned about obesity.

Concern is likely to continue rising as governments dedicate resources to educating consumers and averting this public health crisis. China, for example, is dedicating resources to nutrition education campaigns and improving the diets of its citizens. This may prove a boon to brands in the healthy food and beverage space.