Rapid rise in obesity in India: Facts and reasons Facts and reasons behind the rapid rise of obesity.

By 2025, India will have over 17 million obese children and stand second among 184 countries where the numbers of obese children are concerned, according to a study.

On the backdrop of World Obesity Day on October 11, experts warned that early prevention was the need of the hour to avoid an entire generation from falling prey to heart ailments, hypertension and diabetic complications.

Globally, over two billion children and adults suffer from health problems related to being overweight or obese, and an increasing percentage of people die from these health conditions, researchers said.

Of the four million deaths attributed to excess body weight in 2015, nearly 40 per cent occurred among people whose body mass index (BMI) fell below the threshold considered “obese”.


FACTS ABOUT OBESITY IN THE WORLD:

  • There are nearly 108 million children and more than 600 million adults with BMI exceeding 30, the threshold for obesity, according to the study
  • China had 15.3 million children with obesity and India 14.4 million
  • Among adults, the U.S. topped the list with 79.4 million people with obesity and China came second with 57.3 million people

  • The prevalence of obesity has doubled since 1980 in more than 70 countries and has increased in most other nations, the study further said
  • Although the prevalence of obesity among children has been lower than among adults, the rate of increase in childhood obesity in many countries was greater than that of adults

  • Another study estimated the likely numbers of children in 2025 with obesity-related comorbidities: impaired glucose tolerance (12 million), type 2 diabetes (4 million), hypertension (27 million) and hepatic steatosis (38 million)

WHAT CAUSES OBESITY?

  • WRONG EATING HABITS

This is one of the major causes of obesity. Obesity never develops overnight; it progresses from poor diet. And wrong eating habits from the childhood also make people obese.

  • CONSUMPTION OF JUNK FOOD

Globally, as people tend to eat out more often, the consumption of junk food is among key causes of obesity. During childhood, children fed junk food will find it hard to develop good eating habits.

  • LESS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Lack of physical activity aided by technology boom is making us physically inactive and leading to people becoming obese

Thanks IndiaToday.in