Childhood Obesity

One segment of the society that is gaining weight very rapidly these days are the children of to day. More so in the urban areas. In a recent survey conducted in all the five metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata it has been noticed that two out of every five-school going children are over weight. If this trend continues in another 10 yrs the no. Of obese children is going to double. And very soon this modern day’s disease of Obesity can spread to rural India and down the line in another two decades even India could become a nation of heavy weights just like to days USA.

The reasons behind a child gaining weight could be many and are varied too. The commonest reason being lack of physical activity. Gone are the days when every school used to have a play ground and every body used to take part in one game or the other. Children of these days, more so in urban areas hardly walk to the school. Either they travel by bus, rickshaw, auto or they get dropped at the school over a motorcycle or by a car by one of the family members. Thus children of to day are being deprived a walk to the school and back because of so many other reasons too. Body’s Fat Level , Lean Body Mass , Water Levels , Age , Height , Weight , Body Courtesy the ” Green Revolution ” and ” Operation Flood ” , India is self sufficient in food grains (in fact the granaries of Food Corporation of India are over flowing, and we are exporting food grains which is a reversal of situation compared to What it was 30 yrs ago), and Milk where in children of this generation are being fed with high caloric foods, and most of the times with the junk food, resulting in a gross disparity between the calories (food) consumed and the calories spent. The net result of this is the alarming increase in over weight children of to day.

Another fact that’s contributing to Over Weight in Children is the Gadgets such as Smart Phones, Tablets and Video Games. Children of to day want more of passive games that keep their minds busy and the bodies lethargic leading to over weight.

At Clinic – 2000 we have been treating the obese children for the past twenty Six years with remarkable success. The treatment involves interviewing both the parents and child separately and together if necessary, and drawing the history from them about the family’s life style and eating habits, with special emphasis on the child’s eating habits and activity level to detect the ” culprit factor ” behind the child’s weight gain. This is followed by the body composition test to detect the child’s body’s fat level, lean body mass (muscles, bones and other soft tissue) and water levels. Based on these parameters and the child’s age, height, weight, body frame and his activity level ;his required dietary in take is planned and advised accordingly along with an advise as to what should be the child’s activity level. This approach results in creation of negative energy balance and ultimately results first in arresting further weight gain followed by reduction of the child’s weight gradually. The child is required to come once a month for the follow up along with the parents. We aim to make the Over Weight Child lose weight in a pleasurable manner.