Abstract
Adolescent obesity has emerged as a critical public health challenge globally, with boarding school environments increasingly recognized as unique settings that shape dietary and physical activity behaviors. In Nigeria, particularly in urban centers like Ibadan, the rising prevalence of obesity-related behaviors among boarding school students remains poorly documented despite growing concerns. This narrative review synthesizes available evidence on the incidence and determinants of obesity-related behaviors among boarding school students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, and identifies gaps for future research and intervention. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, African Journals Online (AJOL), Google Scholar, and grey literature repositories from 2010 to 2025. Studies focusing on adolescent obesity, dietary behaviors, physical activity patterns, and school environments in Ibadan and broader Nigerian contexts were included. The review identified a concerning upward trend in obesity-related behaviors among boarding school adolescents in Ibadan. Key contributing factors include energy-dense school meal offerings, limited physical activity opportunities, prolonged sedentary behaviors, and inadequate nutrition education. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among boarding school students ranged from 12.8% to 19.5%, with higher rates observed in private institutions. The boarding school environment, characterized by controlled but often obesogenic food systems and restricted physical activity infrastructure, uniquely predisposes students to unhealthy weight gain. Obesity-related behaviors among boarding school students in Ibadan represent an emerging but under-addressed public health crisis. Urgent multi-level interventions targeting school food policies, physical activity promotion, and nutrition education are required to reverse this trend.