'Lifestyle ailments may put kids at risk'

BHOPAL: Lifestyle diseases can affect children's health and most at risk are obese and overweight children, say paediatricians speaking at national workshop on infectious diseases organized by Indian Pediatrics Association here on Sunday.
"The problem is starting early with nearly 7-10% school going kids being diagnosed as obese," said paediatrician Dr Raju C Shah.Prevalence of child obesity is affecting the affluent class whose children risk getting lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension and even cardiac problems by the time they reach 30 years of age, he added.
Lack of open spaces and ever reducing outdoor activity are major cause of obesity and overweight problem found among children. "One per cent obese children is likely to be affected by lifestyle diseases," said Dr Shah.
The medical practitioners were of the view that counselling parents and promoting healthy eating habits as one of the ways of tackling the problem, which was a rarity till a decade ago.
"The phenomenon is referred to as 'metabolic syndrome'," said Dr Shah explaining it as a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. "Insulin resistance is also common among these children," he added.
"Although unheard but some children are also being diagnosed for hypertension, sleep disorders and acidity," said another paediatrician, Dr R Mishra.
To know whether ones child is overweight, look out for sudden weight gain along with child's age and growth patterns, he added.