Alarming obesity

The co-existence of malnutrition and childhood obesity represents a paradoxical challenge that is unique to India.

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While millions of children go to sleep with empty stomachs despite the country boasting surplus food production, a shift in dietary choices and sedentary lifestyles is pushing many children, particularly in urban areas, towards obesity. The latest study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has found alarming levels of obesity among schoolchildren in the national capital. The data reveals a disturbing socio-economic trend: over 24% of private school students were classified as obese, compared to 4.5% in government schools. Students in private schools were also found to be twice as likely to have elevated blood sugar and three times more likely to exhibit metabolic syndrome — a dangerous cluster of conditions that includes hypertension, abnormal cholesterol, and insulin resistance. This could significantly increase