A country where 270 million people live below the ‘poverty line’, obesity seems to be a distant issue, meant for the rich kids of first world. But India is under siege…..sedentary habits coupled with junk processed food, alcohol and westernized culture and india’s continued integration in global food markets has lead to silent selfdestruction……. making one in every five Indian either obese or overweight
Obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions in 21st century, with morbid obesity affecting 5% of the country’s population…… India, which is already the third most obese country in the world, is showing increasing incidence of over-weight children and adolescents in urban areas. Latest estimates shows an increase in the prevalence of obesity among adolescents (13-18 years) from 16% to 29% over the last five years. Childhood obesity tracks into adulthood, and is an important risk factor for the development later in life of type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, subclinical inflammation, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypertension, dyslipidemia and coronary artery disease………….
Knowing all this , we still seem to do nothing to counter the menace, allowing ourselves to be controlled by a “pandemic”, happily shrugging off the dangers with unpardonable nonchalance.