Marsilius Lecture Summer Semester 2025 The Triple Burden in Transition: Undernutrition, Obesity, and Climate Change in the Lives of Adolescents and Young People

Prof. Wafaie W. Fawzi, PhD
Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health
Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard University (USA)
Monday, 14. July 2025, 16.00 Uhr, Aula der Alten Universität

Adolescents and young people today are coming of age in a world marked by an unprecedented convergence of crises and opportunities. Undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and climate change—once considered distinct challenges—now intersect to form a “triple burden” that disproportionately affects this demographic. While global efforts over past decades have made progress in reducing child undernutrition, the gains are uneven and increasingly offset by rising rates of diet-related non-communicable diseases among youth, including obesity and diabetes. At the same time, climate change profoundly alters the food system that underpins youth nutrition and health, particularly in vulnerable communities. In this lecture, I will explore the interconnected pathways through which the triple burden manifests in the lives of adolescents and young people, drawing on evidence from diverse geographic contexts.