Obesity In Children Likely To Rise Over 9% By 2035 In India

In India, by 2035, obesity among girls and boys is likely to see an annual rise of 9.1 percent, warned an alarming global report.

World Obesity Day is globally observed on March 4 every year with the view of promoting practical solutions to end the global obesity crisis.

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Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges in the developing countries and needs to be understood and tackled effectively.

‘World Obesity Atlas 2023 report revealed that in 2020 boys had a 3 percent obesity risk, but by 2035, the risk will likely go up by 12 percent and for girls the risk was 2 percent in 2020, but in 2035, it will rise to 7 percent.’

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In the case of adults, the annual increase is pegged at 5.2 percent. Indian women in 2020 had 7 percent risk, by 2035, it will rise to 13 percent. Men, on the other hand, had a 4 percent risk in 2020, it will rise to 8 percent in 2025.

Obesity in Children

The reasons for increased obesity prevalence include rising trends in dietary preferences towards more highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behavior, weaker policies to control the food supply and food marketing, and less well resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and in health education in the population.

Further, the report showed that lower income countries are facing rapid increases in obesity prevalence. Of the 10 countries with the greatest expected increases in obesity globally, nine are from either Asia or Africa, including India.

More than adults, childhood obesity could be more than double by 2035. Boys are likely to see a 100 percent increase, while girls can see a 125 percent increase in the risk of obesity. In all, over 1.5 billion adults and nearly 400 million children will be living with obesity in 12 years time unless significant action is taken.

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"This year's Atlas is a clear warning that by failing to address obesity today, we risk serious repercussions in the future. It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents," Prof. Louise Baur, President of the World Obesity Federation, said in a statement.

"Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation. That means looking urgently at the systems and root factors that contribute to obesity, and actively involving young people in the solutions. If we act together now, we have the opportunity to help billions of people in the future," Baur added.

Test Your Knowledge on Childhood Obesity
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat, and is responsible for a wide range of chronic health problems. Childhood obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent with nearly 20% of American children and nearly the same percentage of children in India suffering from obesity.

The report also predicted that the global economic impact of overweight and obesity will reach $4.32 trillion. In the case of India, the impact of obesity on national GDP would be 1.8 percent by 2035.

However, the report emphasized that the acknowledgement of the economic impact of obesity "is in no way a reflection of blame on people living with obesity."

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Source-IANS