City doctors are worried with the rapid increase in cases of child obesity and adolescent obesity.
“According to a World Health Organisation report, more than 1.4 billion adults who are 20-plus are overweight. Obesity is a serious issue in today’s world and it has to be tackled at the earliest,” warned consultant dietician Dr Rajeshwari Kannan.
“Obesity is a disease and there are many reasons behind it like metabolic disorder, genetic problems, excessive inactivity and consumption of excess calories,” the doctor observed, adding that obesity was also linked to a number of diseases like diabetes and heart ailments.
Urban lifestyle was the main cause of the disorder that could double the chances of heart attacks and increase the chances of diabetes by five times as compared to those without the syndrome.
Nutritionists observed that it is necessary to address the problem of obesity at an early age for two reasons.
Firstly, it is easier to inculcate healthy lifestyle practices and secondly, the outcomes are better in adults who were not obese when they were young.
They also warn that without immediate intervention, a huge chunk of children below 15 years will be victims of heart diseases and other non-communicable diseases by 2020.
“Childhood obesity is a multi-factorial problem which is largely influenced by urban lifestyle, heredity and peer pressure. If kids develop a healthy lifestyle, it is likely to become a foundation for their adult behaviour,” said nutritionist Kumudha Anand.
Nutrition education at a young age was the key to promote healthy lifestyles and eating behaviours, she added.