Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Childhood obesity a major concern, health issues rise in India
A doctor who treated children in India many years ago says that back then, many children were very sick because they did not get enough food.
Today, the problem has changed in the opposite direction.
Now many children in India weigh too much, and doctors call this childhood obesity.
About 8 out of every 100 children in India are obese, and the number is growing by about 5 per cent each year.
India has more obese children than almost any other country, second only to China.
Being too heavy can hurt children's hearts, livers, eyes, breathing and joints, and can even make it harder to learn well in school.
Too many sugary snacks, too much screen time, and not enough safe outdoor play are some of the biggest reasons.
The doctor says parents, schools, communities and the government all need to work together so children can grow up healthy.
About 8 per cent of Indian children aged 1 to 18 are obese, and prevalence is rising by 5 per cent each year.
India ranks second globally in childhood obesity, behind China.
The doctor contrasts today's trend with the malnutrition seen 50 years ago, when average birth weight was about 2.5 kg versus 3.1 kg today.
Health risks include maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), heart attacks and strokes, asthma, sleep apnoea and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Causes cited include sugary snacks and drinks, screen time, processed foods, advertising of unhealthy, high-calorie foods and a lack of safe places to play.
- Who
- Indian children aged 1 to 18, who are increasingly affected by obesity; the article is written by a doctor with a family practice in Vellore.
- What
- A warning that childhood obesity has become a major health concern in India, bringing chronic health problems to children at younger ages.
- When
- Present day; roughly 50 years after the author observed widespread malnutrition in paediatric wards.
- Where
- India, with global context as the second-ranked country, behind China.
- Why
- Because obese children usually grow into overweight adults, and medical problems that begin in childhood worsen progressively with age.
- Obese children (ages 1-18)
- About 8 per cent in India
- Annual rise in prevalence
- 5 per cent
- Global ranking
- Second, after China
- Average birth weight 50 years ago
- About 2.5 kg
- Average birth weight today
- About 3.1 kg
- Main health risks
- MODY, MASLD, PCOS, heart attacks and strokes, asthma, sleep apnoea
- Author
- Doctor with a family practice in Vellore
- Source
- Telegraph India