Obesity in School Children in India

Abstract

The global prevalence of obesity has doubled from 1990 to 2015. Worryingly, the increase is more in children than in adults. In just three decades, the number of school-going children and adolescents with obesity has increased by 10-fold, and the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reckon that 200 million school children worldwide are either overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity among 5-to 19-year-old Indian children, ranged between 3.6 and 11.7%. It is predicted that by 2025 there will be 17 million obese children in India. Urbanisation is the single most important factor linked to obesity in India. Epigenetic, dietary, familial, psychosocial, parental education and parental occupation are other important factors. About 50% of obese children will become obese adults. The prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes dyslipidaemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children is also increasing parallelly. Prevention of childhood obesity is vital because it is near impossible to get children to lose weight and maintain it. A healthy diet and an active lifestyle should start from the pre-conception time itself and be continued through all stages of childhood. 2 been tried in different countries, and each one of them has important lessons for public health specialists and health policy makers. The WHO's Commission for Ending Childhood Obesity opines that this problem requires, 'a whole-government approach in which policies across all sectors systematically take health into account, avoid harmful health impacts, and thus improve population health and health equity' [4]. The magnitude of the problem, causative factors, complications of childhood obesity and some solutions will be discussed. Prevalence Global prevalenceObesity in school children is today an uncomfortable reality. The global prevalence of obesity has doubled between 1990 and 2015. Worryingly, the rate of increase in obesity in children is higher than that in adults in many countries [5]. Globally, about 10% of school children in the 5-17 age groups are obese or overweight [5]. The prevalence varies from 30% in America to less than 2% in sub-Saharan Africa. In just three decades, the number of school-going children and adolescents with obesity has increased by 10-fold, from 11 million to 124 million (2016 estimates). In addition to this, another 216 million children were estimated to be overweight though not obese in 2016 [6]. The International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reckon that 200 million school children worldwide are either overweight or obese [7]. The problem probably starts early in childhood. A 2010 report estimated that 42 million children under the age of 5 were overweight and of these, 35 million lived in developing countries. While the prevalence of childhood obesity may be plateauing in some developed countries, it is showing a steep rise in developing countries of Asia and Africa. Within Asia, China ha...

Children’s Internet use and physical and psychosocial development

“…Studies in developed countries reported that only 33% of adolescents fulfil a recommended goal of at least 60 min of physical activity per day ( 32 ). Nearly half of the children in our study did not exercise any sport, which is similar to the situation among schoolchildren in other parts of Serbia ( 33 ) and in India ( 34 ). Sedentary behavior can negatively affect mental and cognitive health in children and adolescents with obesity ( 35 ).…”

“…There is compelling evidence showing that sitting by personal computer too much may impair physical, mental and cognitive health in children and adolescents ( 34 , 45 ). In relation to our own contribution to the field, we found a statistically significant association between daily Internet use (sedentary lifestyle) and obesity, hyperactivity-inattention, emotional symptoms, conduct problems and social maladjustment.…”

Preface

“…1 The prevalence of obesity among 5-to 19-year-old Indian children, ranged between 3.6 and 11.7% and It is predicted that by 2025 there will be 17 million obese children in India. 2 The prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children is also increasing with increasing obesity. Risk of obesity and lack of outdoor exposure in childhood also touches the field of Otorhinolaryngology.…”

Effect of an Education Intervention on Knowledge of Junk Foods, Healthy Food Habits Among the School-Going Children at Selected Schools In Chennai, India – A Pre-Experimental Multicentric Trial.

“…About 10% of children aged between 5-17 years have come under the category of obese or overweight. 4 Gupta et al conducted a systematic review and reported that in India, children between 5-19 years have a prevalence of overweight ranging between 6.1% and 25.2%, and the prevalence of obesity ranged between 3.6% and 11.7%. 5 Among schoolaged children, junk food, is a major contributor to increasing overweight from 9.7% -13.9% between 2001-2010.…”