PremiumThe health bodies will collect data from several parts of the country and monitor the rise in the number of obese people in all the age groups before and after the Covid-19 pandemic
| Listen to this article |
The ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has planned to conduct another study to check the rising obesity across the nation and the effect of the pandemic, reported ANI.
Quoting scientists and officials, the news agency said that the health bodies will collect data from several parts of the country and monitor the rise in the number of obese people in all the age groups before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The idea of the study is under the process of approval from ICMR. Once it approves, the study will be taken up. It is a collaborative study and we are also partnering with other leading institutes to complete it," said Dr Avula Laxmaiah, Scientist G, ICMR- NIN.
He said that scientists have already done some studies on dietary consumption.
"We will compare the previous years' data also. We have already done some studies on dietary consumption and will see what is the difference in the number of obese people before Covid and after Covid," Dr Laxmaiah stated.
Obesity among children
He affirmed that the study will focus on the social dynamics of childhood obesity.
Further, the scientist went on to speak about the role of junk food in increasing childhood obesity in India.
"It is a series of studies on childhood obesity and its determinants. One of the determined is the consumption of processed junk food and processed foods. In that process, we will put our ultra-processed samplings and everything will come," he described.
"We have also published one paper on obesity research. In that paper, we analysed the contribution of junk food which is causing the overweight. We have also done a principal component analysis which revealed that almost 53 per cent of overweight obesity is caused by unhealthy food consumption," he added.
Laxmaiah informed that the scientists have done research on the subject in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2018.
"All studies show obesity is caused by the obesogenic environment due to sedentary activities and junk food consumption. High intake of junk food can also affect mental health and other organs of the body. Junk food majorly gives only energy, but not minerals and vitamins which required for brain development and growth," he said.
With inputs from agencies.