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NEW DELHI: India is among the apical 3 countries globally with the highest fig of children affected by excess weight, with astir 41 cardinal aged 5-19 surviving with precocious assemblage wide scale (BMI), including astir 14 cardinal with obesity, a caller planetary study has found.The World Obesity Atlas 2026 shows India, on with China and the US, accounts for a ample stock of the planetary burden, showing the state present faces some undernutrition and rising obesity among children.This comes amid a crisp planetary summation successful puerility obesity, which has risen from astir 4% successful 1975 to astir 20% successful caller years. For the archetypal time, much children worldwide are expected to beryllium surviving with obesity than underweight, marking a large displacement successful wellness trends.
It besides warned that portion galore countries person introduced measures to tackle puerility obesity, advancement is not keeping gait with the standard of the problem, calling for stronger enactment connected nutrient regulation, carnal enactment and entree to care.Experts said this is not conscionable a substance of appearance, but a superior wellness concern. "Childhood obesity is rising owed to an imbalance betwixt fare and carnal activity, with children consuming much calories and moving less.
It is not a cosmetic issue, but a illness with semipermanent risks specified arsenic diabetes, bosom illness and different manner conditions," said Dr Rajesh Khadgawat, prof astatine the AIIMS endocrinology department.The emergence is being driven by casual entree to calorie-dense foods, sugary drinks and ultra-processed products, on with declining carnal enactment and expanding surface time. Urban lifestyles, reduced outdoor play spaces and increasing dependence connected integer devices are further worsening the trend.The inclination is besides disposable among younger children, with overweight rising adjacent nether five. Experts warned it often continues into adulthood, expanding semipermanent risks and adding to the aboriginal load of non-communicable diseases.
