Around one in five children aged between five and 14 in Madeira was classified as obese in 2025, according to new figures released by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM).
The data, published as part of the children’s module of the 2025 National Health Survey (INS), was collected from parents and guardians to provide an updated picture of the health, wellbeing and eating habits of children under the age of 15.
The survey found that 87.4% of children in the Autonomous Region of Madeira were rated by their parents as being in “very good” or “good” health, compared with 92.3% nationally.
In terms of oral health, 84.1% of children were assessed as having “very good” or “good” teeth and gum health, while 13.5% were rated as fair, bad or very poor. Across Portugal, the equivalent figures were 88.3% and 9.1%, respectively.
The survey also found that 20.7% of children in Madeira experienced health problems during the previous 12 months that affected their ability to carry out activities normally expected for their age. The national average was 18.9%.
Using height and weight measurements to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), adjusted for age and sex in accordance with World Health Organisation growth standards, DREM found that 54.3% of children aged between five and 14 were of a healthy weight.
However, 40.3% were above a healthy weight range, with 20.8% classified as overweight and 19.5% classified as obese.
Nationally, 35.5% of children in the same age group were overweight or obese, comprising 22.6% who were overweight and 12.9% who were obese.
The figures indicate that childhood obesity is significantly more prevalent in Madeira than the national average, with obesity affecting almost one in five children in the region compared with around one in eight across Portugal.
The findings are likely to renew debate over childhood nutrition, physical activity and preventative public health measures, as health professionals continue to warn that excess weight in childhood increases the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other health complications later in life.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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