Sunday, June 10, 2007

• Fat & figures

  Sample this: More than 10 percent of urban Indian adolescents are obese, approximately 30 per cent of obese children grow up to become obese adults and childhood obesity increases blood pressure and adverse blood lipid levels. Also, obese children are three times more at risk for hypertension than non-obese children. A leading wellness company has more than 400 adolescents enrolled for weight loss programes in Kolkata and rest of India.

  It's time you took your little angel's puppy fat seriously.

  A recent survey conducted by the weight loss giant, VLCC, titled 'Adolescent Obesity and its Management through Introduction of Nutritional and Psychological Counselling' throws up staggering figures. The number of obese adolescents, it seems, is increasing at an alarming rate in cities like Kolkata. "Though genetics and lifestyle both play important roles in determining a child's weight, it cannot be denied that children from urban centres like Kolkata and Delhi are more likely to be obese than their rural or semi-urban counterparts. This is because of their unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle," says beauty and health expert, Vandana Luthra.

  The survey undertook the task of determining the percentage of obese adolescents in urban centres by the scientific Body Mass Index method where weight and height of adolescents were taken using standardised tools. "Based on BMI, 10.9% of adolescents were found to be overweight (72% boys & 28% girls) and 2.6% were obese (67% boys & 33% girls), while 55% were found to be in the normal range (49% boys & 51% girls)," says Dr Veena Aggarwal, head of R&D, VLCC. "Most urban children are addicted to fast food and a sedentary lifestyle. They love their burgers and chips and ignore food with high nutritional value. Television and video games have made them couch potatoes. Where and when do we see children burning off calories and indulging in sports these days?" asks Luthra.

  The survey also throws light on the unhealthy practice of crash dieting and meal skipping amongst most urban adolescents, which may lead to lethal eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia. "Some adolescents resort to indiscriminate methods of losing weight through fad diets, skipping meals, taking diet pills and even inducing vomiting after eating. Such drastic steps to combat obesity can actually cause as much harm as obesity itself. Stringent dieting may cause girls to stop menstruating and prevents boys from developing muscles," says Dr Aggarwal.

  So what is the solution? One should tackle the problem practically and disseminate knowledge, the experts feel. "Adolescence is a critical period. A child goes through major emotional and physical changes. So it's important to approach the topic of obesity sensitively. Enforcement of a restricted lifestyle may not work. Parents should be sensitive while handling such issues," feels Luthra. "Children emulate their parents. If parents enjoy a healthy lifestyle, children will follow," sums up Aggarwal.

  http://in.news.yahoo.com/070608/48/6gtf6.html

  • 6:25 PM
  • 1 view
  • 4 eprops
  • 2 comments