LUDHIANA, Jan 25 — Changing lifestyle and food habits coupled with lack of physical activity have contributed to a growing trend of obesity among children. The trend is more common among urban children and those belonging to affluent and upper middle classes.
Although there is no standard survey or research conducted on obesity among children, paediatricians maintain that there is an increasing tendency among the urban children towards obesity. Doctors say it is mainly due to the changing food habits and almost total lack of physical activity.
Doctors practising in posh areas like Sarabha Nagar, Gurdev Nagar, BRS Nagar and other similar localities said about 10 per cent children were suffering from the problem of obesity. Those practising in the areas inhabited by the working class disclosed that not more than 1 per cent children suffered from obesity. Even if some did, it had pathological reasons and not nutritional reasons. They said about 30 per cent of the children in these areas still suffered from malnutrition.
Dr B.K. Jain, a paediatrician of the city, who works in DMCH, said children are overburdened by the homework assigned in schools. They spend their spare time in watching television or playing computer games. Moreover, children nowadays are used to junk food instead of traditional food, which is low in vitamins, minerals and other things and high on fat and carbohydrates. He said due to improper and unregulated diet, the children become plump. They also suffer from deficiency of calcium, vitamins, iron, minerals and have to be given supplements of these minerals and vitamins at an early age.
An Ayurvedic practitioner of Ludhiana said Indian kitchens, particularly those belonging to the affluent families, have turned into “junk food joints”.
Another paediatrician, Dr Pradeep Handa, said the tendency towards obesity is increasing among children. He said due to overload of school work, the children have been reduced to a
sedentary life. This also leads to other health problems, like hypertension, heart problems and diabetes.
Dr Mahesh Gupta is, however, of the opinion that obesity is not a common problem as yet. According to his estimates, not more than 1 per cent children he treated suffered from this problem. He agreed that it may be prevailing in a select elite section of society, but common people did not face this problem.
