Dietary Intakes and Familial Correlates of Overweight/Obesity: A Four-Cities Study in India

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is increasing in India. However, knowledge of, attitude towards and practice of health and nutrition in mothers and children have not been researched. Objective: To assess knowledge of, attitude towards and practice of nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle practices in a nationally representative sample of urban children and mothers in India. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study of 1,800 children aged 9-18 years and their mothers, using qualitative (focus group) and quantitative (semi-structured survey) data. Results: The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity among the children was 19.2% in males and 18.1% in females; 64.8% of mothers were either overweight [body mass index (BMI) 23.0-24.9; 23.3%] or obese (BMI >25.0; 41.5%). Household family income, related socioeconomic factors, and overweight in mothers were most significantly associated with obesity in children (all p ≤ 0.001). Dietary consumption patterns (snacking, fast food etc.) showed a marked association between mothers and children (all p ≤ 0.000). Focus group discussion revealed several interesting attitudes and misconceptions among children (‘home-cooked food is old fashioned') and mothers (‘a child with chubby cheeks is healthy, not fat'). Importantly, only a few mothers understood that excess weight or diets are contributory factors of morbidities in children or themselves. Conclusions: This study highlights the poor knowledge, faulty attitudes and practices of urban Asian Indian mothers and their children in a highly correlated manner. These knowledge gaps must be addressed to formulate effective strategies for the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Increased risk of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder associated with exposure to organophosphate pesticide in Taiwanese children

“…In the small island of Taiwan, the ability to change food sources is limited and the change of residence between cities is considered relatively local. Moreover, dietary patterns of children mirror those of their parents or caregivers, whose food behavior and food choices were already established in childhood, and may continue into adulthood (Mikkilä et al ., ; Gulati et al ., ); therefore, the dietary habits of the subjects in this study are relatively consistent. The semiquantitative dietary records from the questionnaire may represent consistent dietary habits.…”

Obesity in School Children in India

“…Gulati et al found that a majority of children surveyed in four urban centres preferred to eat out; they felt that home food was 'old-fashioned' . Almost half of them also had their evening meals while watching television [31,32]. Adolescents associate 'junk food' with independence and convenience and consider health food options odd [33].…”

“…Many studies in India have shown that the mother's BMI correlates with the child's weight. This may be due to genetic factors and environmental factors such as shared diets and eating habits [31,49]. Raskind et al found that every overweight child had an overweight mother.…”

Obesity and Dyslipidemia in South Asians

“…Mothers often have traditional belief that feeding excess ghee (clarified butter) and butter to child would be beneficial to growth and impart them strength. In a cross-sectional study of 1800 children aged 9 to 18 years and their mothers, using qualitative (focus group) and quantitative (semi-structured survey) data, widely prevalent myths, and correlation between obesity and dietary habits of children and their mothers has been shown [130]. Other social factors as a cause of physical inactivity are: priority for academics at the cost of playing time in children, increasing use of television and computers, lack of playfields and open spaces, and security concerns in the outdoors, especially for women [60,61,66].…”