Japan's Children Face Record Rates of Underweight and Overweight, Study Finds

A Look at Underweight and Overweight Rates

The School Health Survey for fiscal 2024, released by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on February 12, 2024, revealed concerning trends in children's weight.

The survey found record-high rates of underweight children across multiple age groups. Notably, 12-year-old girls and 15-year-old boys had the highest rates, at 4.22% and 3.88% respectively. Boys aged 7 and 9-17, and girls aged 8, 9, and 14-17 also saw record-high rates of underweight.

While the 2024 figures represent the highest since the calculation method was changed in 2006, it's important to note that data from 2020 to 2023 is excluded due to the pandemic's impact on health check schedules.

The survey also revealed a record high in the ratio of overweight children, defined as those weighing at least 20% more than the average weight for their height. 11-year-olds of both sexes had the highest ratios, with 13% of boys and 10.02% of girls classified as overweight. Record rates were also observed among 5-year-old boys, 8-11-year-old boys, 13-year-old boys, 5-year-old girls, 7-9-year-old girls, and 11-year-old girls.

While the exact cause of these trends remains unclear, an education ministry official in charge of the survey believes unstable lifestyle habits influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic may be a contributing factor.

The health check results were collected from 7,755 public and private kindergartens, elementary, junior high, and high schools across Japan. Data was collected from children aged 5 to 17 and divided by age and sex. Underweight children are defined as weighing at least 20% less than the average weight of peers of the same height.