[ad_1]
New Delhi, March 21
Confined to their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, children face a higher risk of obesity due to increased consumption of junk food, lack of socialization and physical activity, the children have warned. health experts.
Perhaps COVID-19 is expected to worsen the problem of obesity in the middle and upper socioeconomic groups, they said.
The economic, food and health systems disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts said, are expected to continue to exacerbate all forms of malnutrition.
The latest national family health survey, which was conducted in 22 states during the pre-pandemic era, presented a dire picture of child nutrition in the country.
While, on the one hand, it showed an increase in malnutrition in several states, the government survey also presented an increase in childhood obesity in 20 of the 22 states studied.
A senior official said tackling obesity will be an area of major focus for the government under the new Poshan mission.
However, health experts have said that the possible implications of COVID 19 in worsening the situation of overweight and obesity cannot be ignored.
COVID 19 is expected to worsen the overweight situation in middle and upper socioeconomic groups as homebound children and adolescents, young and school-aged, engage in frequent snacking or eating. the consumption of snacks that are high in calories and devoid of nutritional value. like “namkeen”, cookies, bread, rolls, noodles, ice cream, cookies and cakes, fried snacks, sugary drinks would increase.
“These products are high in carbohydrates, sugar and fat and are regularly sought out and consumed to relieve boredom,” said Dr Sheila Vir, director of the Center for Nutrition and Public Health Development, Delhi.
She said parents also encourage feeding such items to meet the stress of the constant demand for food given to young children.
“Plus, those kids who can’t play outside spend a lot more hours sitting in front of the computer or the TV,” she says.
Dr Sujeet Ranjan, Executive Director of the Food and Nutrition Security Coalition, said children in India are currently suffering from the double risk of malnutrition; children are over-nourished and suffer from the effects of under-nutrition.
“During confinement and restricted movement, the children had limited access to socialization, play and even physical contact, which was essential for their psychosocial well-being and development. School closures were preventing children from accessing learning and limiting their interactions with their peers, ”he said.
Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of COVID-19. They were partially reopened in some states from October 15.
“The children felt confused and helpless about the current situation, leading to frustration and anxiety, which only increased with overexposure to mass media and social networks,” he added. .
Warning of the damaging effects of obesity, he said childhood obesity was associated with a higher risk of premature death and disability in adulthood.
“The lack of dietary diversity is one of the reasons for the increase in obesity, overweight in children and high undernourishment. The change is about diets and the consumption of foods high in carbohydrates and sugar has an impact on the health of children, ”he said. Regular and excessive consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and fat leads to obesity and is a risk factor for many diseases. Developmental sport (S4D) for physical fitness, a balanced diet, reducing television viewing are the four pillars by which obesity can be reduced in children, Ranjan said.
Dr Somasekar Ramaswamy, professor of pediatrics at Madras Medical College, said that not only children, but obesity will also affect adults.
“As far as children are concerned, one of the main causes could be online courses, while on the other hand it could be working from home for adults. In either case, they have to sit for hours with excessive consumption of junk food and almost no physical activity resulting in an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure, leading to the accumulation of more weight, week after week, ” did he declare.
For the prevention of overweight in young children aged 6 to 23 months, Vir said caregivers should ensure that careful selection of food items and proper feeding practices are followed.
“Overfeeding a child, if he is undernourished earlier, should be strictly avoided. TV time should be limited and play time encouraged. Regular weight monitoring, where possible, should be encouraged. In fact, the whole family should “eat right” since the problem of overweight in mothers is also associated with overweight and obesity in their offspring. Also get in the habit of checking the nutrient content printed on food packaging as per government / FSSAI policy, ”she said.
School and community level interventions that promote awareness and education about healthy eating habits, lifestyles and regular exercise are essential to prevent obesity in children.
Strict advertising guidelines and media intervention that prevent false propaganda of unhealthy food by celebrities that kids love is another step in that regard, Vir said.
“Thus, interventions at the biopsychosocial level using a multidisciplinary team approach are the cornerstone of the effective management of childhood obesity,” added Vir. —PTI
[ad_2]
Source link
