A study conducted last fall by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, and UNICEF in 59 schools across the country revealed that more than 25% of adolescents in Uzbekistan suffer from excess weight or obesity. The main reasons cited include unbalanced diets, active promotion and popularity of fast food, and a lack of quality sports infrastructure.
Nilufar Ahmedova, chief specialist in pediatric dietetics at the Ministry of Health, stated that excess weight and obesity are classified as eating disorders. A child's body weight not physiologically corresponding to their height creates a foundation for the development of non-communicable diseases in the future: diabetes, hypertension, or early heart problems. “If among seven-year-old children these indicators double and exceed 10%, then in the 10–14 age group they reach 36%. This indicates the need for urgent measures,” Ahmedova said.
The study was conducted in September 2025. It covered the city of Tashkent and six regions of Uzbekistan: Tashkent, Samarkand, Fergana, Khorezm, Kashkadarya regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The sample included 59 general education schools (30 urban and 29 rural). About 3,000 students — mainly fourth and eighth graders — as well as 59 focus groups participated in the survey.
Of the 59 schools inspected, 10 were supposed to have a free meal program. However, at the time of the monitoring group's visit at the beginning of the school year, only six schools were providing meals to children. In the rest, the process was halted due to prolonged tenders and problems with concluding contracts. Where meals were organized, questions arose about their quality: only two of the six schools had a diet deemed healthy.
Nearly 100% of school canteens sell unhealthy products: fried, salty, or overly sweet items; 75% freely sell sugary carbonated drinks. Fresh cut or canned fruits could only be purchased in three of the 59 schools. UNICEF health and nutrition expert Olga Kim emphasized: “Education without changing the environment does not lead to behavior change. Even with knowledge, during recess a child buys what is available and what they are accustomed to.”
According to a survey of students and focus groups, over 80% of children would like to study the topic of proper nutrition more deeply at school. About 75% of students support the idea of free meals at school, and almost all agree that they should be healthy and affordable. 60% of schoolchildren advocate for a strict ban on the sale and advertising of harmful products and drinks on school grounds and adjacent areas.
Deputy Minister of Health Elmira Basitkhanova noted that sellers who arbitrarily open retail outlets near school gates often ignore sanitary requirements and, despite restrictions, sell energy drinks and useless products to students. “Under the guise of small business, setting up a chair near a school and selling harmful products to children contrary to legal prohibitions is a loss of conscience for the sake of making money,” she said.
Source: www.gazeta.uz