A New Epidemic? More Than 20% Schoolkids In Bengaluru Are Overweight, Only 7% Undernourished, Finds Study

Lack of exercise and an increased consumption of junk food has led to an estimated 21.7 per cent of children studying in schools across the city being either overweight or obese, according to a study conducted on 83,000 children from 145 schools, reports Deccan Herald.

The study was conducted by Bangalore Comprehensive Child Health Alliance (BaCCHA) which was formed by AddressmHealth and Rainbow Hospitals, on children from the age groups of four to 17 from January to October this year.

The study observed that 7.5 per cent children were undernourished while 3.4 per cent of them showed clinical signs of anaemia.

“Obese and overweight are two different categories. The study was conducted based on the body mass index (BMI) of the child. The undernourished children had a very low BMI, food pattern and nourishment at childbirth could be the reason for the malnourishment,” Dr Anand Lakshman, CEO and public health expert, AddressHealth said.

The study showed that an estimated 14 % of the children were at risk of lifestyle diseases such as Type II diabetes and that 0.7 % of children had an enlarged thyroid.