The Hindu Business Line : Obesity a major concern among children

Seven per cent of Delhi's school children are likely to develop serious heart problems by the time they are in their early thirties. According to a study conducted by the Diabetes Foundation of India, there has been a 13 per cent rise in the number of Delhi school children identified as overweight and obese in just three years.

The percentage of overweight and obese in the age group 14-18 is 28 per cent today. What is even more alarming, says Dr Anoop Mishra, Director and HoD of Diabetes and Metabolic diseases, Fortis Hospitals, is the instances of C-reactive protein observed in 13 per cent of school children. C-reactive protein, which is produced with the hardening of heart arteries, is believed to be even more accurate predictor of heart problems than cholesterol levels.

Although the study is specific to Delhi, Dr Mishra says this is a significant enough wake up call for the rest of the country.

"Obesity and obesity-related problems claims many more lives than AIDS, yet policy makers have not woken up to the urgency of the matter because this is not a cause that attracts high profile campaigners and huge funds," says Dr Anil Kapur, MD, of the Denmark-based World Diabetes Foundation (WDF).

The Diabetes Foundation, India, has launched a three-year study and awareness programme to be conducted in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The $ 177,000 programme funded by WDF will cover five public schools and five government schools in each of these cities, and will train students and physical education teachers as well as talk to parents. The study should also, hopes Dr Misra, bring out comparative trends of obesity prevalence between large metropolitan cities and cities like Agra.

ICMR has recently set up a task force of some of the countries leading experts headed by Dr N K Arora of AIIMS, which along with the International Clinical Epidemiology Network will conduct a countrywide child obesity survey, formulate definitions and plan intervention programmes.

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