DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2019.v07i01.015

Pages: 89-90

Childhood and adolescent obesity and overweight are on the rise. Children who are obese are above the normal weight for their age and height. Childhood obesity is particularly worrisome because the extra weight often start children on the path to health problems that were once considered adult problems — diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Many obese children become obese adults, especially if one or both parents are obese. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression. Lifestyle changes towards a healthy diet, increased physical activity and reduced sedentary activities are recommended to prevent and treat obesity. Research consistently shows that the majority of children do not consume diets that meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines, nor do they achieve adequate levels of daily physical activity. We undertook a cross sectional study where we measured the height, weight and body mass index of 116 adolescent children in an urban affluent school in Chennai and also collected information about their diet, consumption of junk foods, physical activity and screen time.