UNICEF’s latest data reveal a sobering truth: for the first time in history, obesity now exceeds underweight among school-age children and adolescents. Nearly one in ten children between 5 and 19 years is living with obesity.
Behind these numbers are powerful forces: ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, endless snacking, and marketing that targets even the youngest eyes. Yet while the statistics are global, the solutions start much closer to home.
Healthy Habits Begin at Home
Children do not choose their first foods or shopping lists, adults do.
Creating a balanced food environment at home is one of the strongest ways to prevent unhealthy weight gain.
Stock smart. Keep fruit, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, nuts, yoghurt, eggs, and lean proteins easily available. Make treats the exception, not the rule.
Cook more often. Home-prepared meals help children taste real food, recognise ingredients, and learn portion control. Even simple dishes like pasta with vegetables, homemade soup, or grilled fish, teach valuable skills.
Model the behaviour. Children imitate what they see. When parents eat balanced meals, drink water, and stay active, children mirror those choices. Family meals without screens encourage conversation and mindful eating.
Mind the portions. Serve age-appropriate amounts and allow children to stop when full. Avoid using food as a reward or punishment.
Hydrate wisely. Water should be the default drink. Reserve juices and sugary beverages for special occasions only. Remind children to drink water if they just ate and asked you for a snack.
Create structure. Regular meal and snack times prevent constant grazing and stabilise energy levels.
Caregivers & Grandparents: Partners in Nutrition
In many households, grandparents or childcare workers spend long hours with children. Their role is crucial.
Consistent messages between home and caregiver settings make the difference between progress and confusion.
Practical ideas:
- Share the same food rules: no sugary drinks, limited sweets, structured meal times.
- Prepare lunchboxes together so everyone knows what’s inside.
- Explain why – not just what – you are doing. Understanding health rather than obedience builds cooperation.
- In childcare settings, keep fruit and vegetables visible and accessible; children are more likely to eat what they see.
Caregivers can also support movement: a daily walk, outdoor play, or a short stretch after naps all help offset sedentary time.
Schools: Building the Next Generation’s Relationship with Food
UNICEF calls for healthier food environments in schools, and encouragingly, many Maltese schools are already leading by example, offering fruit breaks, having a water-only policy on school premises, removing vending machines with sugary snacks, and introducing nutrition education.
But to truly change habits, healthy eating education must reach every classroom, starting in the primary years and continuing through adolescence, since making nutritious choices remains a challenge for many children, even as they grow older.
Children learn best through repetition and example. Nutrition should not be a once-a-year science lesson; it should be woven into daily life at school.
Imagine if every classroom:
- included a five-minute “fruit break,”
- reminded children and adolescents (and automatically the teacher!) for a water break,
- used science to explore where foods come from,
- practiced simple cooking or gardening projects,
- discussed how adverts influence what we crave.
These activities teach responsibility and awareness in a way no textbook can.
Physical activity must also be protected. 60 minutes of daily movement should be a standard, not an aspiration. Active play supports focus, learning, and emotional well-being.
Community and Policy Support
Home and school efforts thrive when supported by a wider environment.
Policies that limit marketing of unhealthy foods to children, tax sugary drinks, and subsidise fresh produce would make it easier for families to make good choices.
Local councils can help by ensuring safe play spaces and by promoting whole foods and healthy food during various annual activities especially where activities revolving around kids. The latter also goes for similar activities organised by various other entities.
Venues which organise parties for kids should unite in order to have healthy foods on the menu instead of junk food.
A Shared Responsibility
Combating childhood obesity isn’t about weight, it’s about health, confidence, and opportunity.
Parents, grandparents, teachers, and policy-makers all share the same goal: raising children who eat well, move often, and understand their bodies.
Change will not happen overnight, but it can start with small, consistent steps:
- a family meal cooked from scratch,
- a fruit break instead of a sweet snack; choose fruits which your children love and offer again fruits which they previously refused
- a caregiver reinforcing “water not soda or fruit juice,”
- a parent or a caregiver taking children out for a walk instead of more screen time.
When these habits are repeated across homes and classrooms, they build a culture of health that lasts a lifetime.
Final Thought
The rise in childhood obesity is not inevitable but it can be reversible.
If we can align what happens in our kitchens, classrooms, and communities, we can give our children the gift of energy, resilience, and well-being that will carry them far beyond their school years.
Let’s start where it matters most: at home and in every classroom.
Yours truly,
Corinne
