HYDERABAD: The threat of obesity to children is as much local as it is global, according to a recent study among more than 500 students of an affluent private school here. The study, by researchers from the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), found that around 25 per cent of children aged 9-15 years were obese, and around 36 per cent were overweight. The findings were published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Schools, where children spend a good part of their day, have a big role to play in cutting down childhood obesity. “Ensuring that at least one hour a day is dedicated to sports is very important to reduce childhood obesity,” said Dr A Laxmaiah, an epidemiologist and public health nutrition specialist at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).
“We worked with some schools in the city as part of a study on childhood obesity, and observed that when the policy of one hour of physical activity daily was enforced, there was a significant decline in the prevalence of obesity among children after a year,” he added.
He further said, “We studied the lunch boxes of the children, and observed that at least 20-30 per cent had food items like bread and chips for lunch. There is a need for schools to educate parents on nutritious food during parent-teacher meetings. There should be a law banning sale of any high-sugar food within 10 m from schools.”
Dr Subbarao M Gavaravarapu, another scientist at the NIN who studied childhood obesity, said, “To get affiliation, many schools just show on paper that they have playgrounds. They don’t even utilise the government’s provision to rent playgrounds if they can’t afford their own. Schools also need to educate children on identifying nutritious foods through labels on packaged food. Staff can also take up intervention by monitoring children’s lunch boxes.”
The World Obesity Federation recently shocked the world, as it reported that by 2030, the number of children and adolescents with obesity might shoot up to 250 million, from the present 150 million, and of them, around 27 million will be in India. It also said that the chances of India achieving the World Health Organization’s target of ‘No increase in childhood overweight’ by 2025, was zero per cent.