After decades of concern about rising childhood obesity, Switzerland may finally be bending the curve. A new nationwide body-mass-index survey suggests that the proportion of overweight children has declined modestly over the past 15 years, particularly among younger pupils. Yet the improvements are uneven and social inequalities remain stark.
The study, published by Promotion Santé Suisse, analysed data from more than 30,000 pupils across 11 cantons and four cities. Overall, 17.2% of Swiss schoolchildren were classified as overweight or obese in 2025. Of these, 12.7% were overweight and 4.5% obese.
The encouraging news lies among the youngest children. In the first cycle of compulsory schooling, roughly kindergarten and early primary years, the share of overweight pupils has fallen from 15.8% in 2010 to 11.1% in 2025. Public-health officials regard this as evidence that prevention campaigns promoting healthier diets and physical activity may be having some effect.
The picture worsens with age. Among pupils in the middle years of compulsory school, 18.6% are overweight or obese. By adolescence the figure rises to 20.9%, meaning more than one in five teenagers carries excess weight.
The study’s authors argue that Switzerland has succeeded in bringing the obesity epidemic under control without reversing it entirely.
Yet the most striking disparities are social rather than regional. Children whose parents lack post-compulsory education are far more likely to be overweight than those from highly educated households.
Geography matters less than it once did. Earlier studies showed clearer differences between urban and rural areas, but these gaps have narrowed as Swiss metropolitan regions have expanded outward.
For Swiss policymakers, the findings are cautiously reassuring. Unlike in many countries, childhood obesity in Switzerland no longer appears to be accelerating. But nor has it disappeared. The country’s challenge is increasingly concentrated among older children and poorer families.
Why obesity and poverty often go together
The link between poverty and obesity appears paradoxical. Many of the healthiest foods—beans, lentils, oats and frozen vegetables—are remarkably inexpensive. Yet the obstacle to healthy eating often lies less in the cost of ingredients than in the conditions required to use them well. Preparing nutritious meals demands time, stability, planning and the mental bandwidth to make deliberate choices. Poorer households are more likely to face irregular working hours, financial stress and unpredictable routines, making convenience disproportionately valuable. Ultra-processed foods exploit this reality: they are designed to be cheap, filling, highly palatable and effortless to consume. Stress compounds the problem. Chronic insecurity disrupts sleep, alters hormones and impairs decision-making, increasing the appeal of calorie-dense comfort foods.
More on this:
Obesity report (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.