Research Area Childhood Obesity

Obesity is now being recognized as a major health problem in both developed and developing countries. India is facing a ‘double jeopardy’, with obesity emerging as an important health problem and ironically co-existing with significant undernutrition prevailing in different sections of the population. The major health consequences associated with overweight and obesity are type 2 diabetes, coronary heart diseases (CHD), hypertension, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Studies on urban Indian schoolchildren from different regions in India report a high prevalence of obese and overweight children. Clearly it is evident that not only the private schools, but also the public school adolescents are overweight / obese. Continued surveys conducted in New Delhi show a secular trend in the increase in the prevalence of obesity. Studies report a prevalence of overweight / obesity among urban private school going adolescents as 29% [1]. The main causes identified are intake of energy dense foods and lack of physical activity.