City docs see rise in obesity among kids during lockdown

Most times they are well past the preventive stage as parents take the matter lightly

Pushed into a sedentary lifestyle in the absence of school and sports sessions, more children have headed into obesity, report city doctors who are now seeing a steady flow of parents seeking help from physicians, dieticians and paediatricians to address weight management issues with their kids.

The lockdown and closure of schools for the past seven months have taken a serious toll on the health of children, particularly in the age group between eight and 15 years. The worrying fact is that parents are approaching doctors a little too late to prevent the lapse into obesity, they say.

Dr Geeta Dharmatti, a nutritionist and former president of the Indian Dietetic Association, pointed out that as per guidelines, every child needs to be engaged in physical activity for at least two hours in a day. The past seven months this, unfortunately, has come down to zero, she observed.

"Children's engagement with the virtual world has increased substantially as have their carbohydrate intake. The children have become volume eaters, devouring a large pizza at one go. They are consuming more processed food, avoiding vegetables and other healthy nourishment. We are asking parents to actively involve the children in physical games and encourage them to eat healthy. Parents could create weekly menus to introduce children to vegetables," Dr Dharmatti explained.

Taking the same line, Dr Lalit Rawal, senior paediatrician at Ruby Hall Clinic and former president of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Maharashtra chapter, agreed that the lockdown has disrupted the diet, sleep and physical activity of children pushing them towards weight gain verging on obesity. "Children these days have easy access to processed, junk and sugary food and drinks. During the lockdown, they've taken to excessive eating while not being put through any physical activity. The number of children coming to the hospitals with weight gain issues has increased threefold," he said.

He further warned, "Staying indoors has increased the risk of vitamin D deficiency in children, impacting their immunity, rendering them susceptible to obesity. Parents take the issue lightly, but obesity is associated with increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease among children of late."

Observing that the lockdown has raised the number of cases of obesity among children, senior bariatric surgeon, Dr Shashank Shah, who helms the Laparo Obeso Centre, Pune, said, "Parents are bringing their kids to the hospitals when the prevention stage is gone and the treatment becomes difficult. When a child falls ill with fever, cold or cough they are quick to visit the doctor, but when it comes to weight gain they fail to act. They come to us when the child has put on over 15-20 kg and developed complications such as thyroid, blood pressure, cholesterol or become pre-diabetic. There has been a marked rise in the number of kids coming with weight beyond 100 kg, since the lockdown."