One in every five children in urban Bengal are overweight

KOLKATA: Around 20% of children in urban Bengal are overweight. Many grow up as obese adults due to which they have the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and coronary artery diseases.“About 50% to 80% obese children grow up as obese adults with a number of health issues that prevent them from leading a normal and healthy life. A plump child is considered to be healthy and cute which is far from truth. The adverse effects of childhood obesity include high blood pressure, high blood sugar and heart diseases,” saud Dr Subrata Dey, senior consultant paediatrician and endocrinologist, Apollo Hospitals.A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine India has about 14.4 million obese children. The study also links the effects of excess weight to other non-communicable diseases.“If a child is severely obese, there is the need to check genetic and endocrine problem. We need to encourage children to take up sports and other outdoor activities on regular basis. Few obese children need to undergo bariatric surgery. When all measures of weight loss fail, as a last resort they can undergo surgery for weight loss,” Dr Dey added.