Childhood obesity in India to rise by 9.1 percent annually
The risk of India’s male children becoming obese is likely to rise by 12 percent by 2035 and for girl children by 7 percent, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2023 published by the UK-based World Obesity Federation. In 2020, the obesity risk was 2 percent for girl children and 3 percent for boys.
“This year’s Atlas is a clear warning that by failing to address obesity today, we risk serious repercussions in the future. It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents,” says Prof Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation.
According to the Atlas, continued failure to prevent and treat obesity will cause a loss of USD 4.32 trillion to the grand economy by 2035 when more than half the world’s population will be overweight.
“The main reasons for rising obesity prevalence in lower-income countries include shift to highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, weaker policies to control food supply and food marketing, and less well-resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and in health education,” says the Atlas report which was presented to UN policymakers on March 6.
WHO: High incidence of birth defects in South-east Asia
On the occasion of World Birth Defects Day (March 3), the World Health Organization (WHO) appealed to countries globally and in particular in Southeast Asia to strengthen public health systems to prevent, detect, manage and care for birth defects.
According to WHO, an estimated 8 million infants are born with birth defects every year with nine out of every 10 born with serious defects living in low and middle-income countries.
“In the South-east Asia region, birth defects are the third most common cause of child mortality, and the fourth most common cause of neonatal mortality, accounting for 12 percent of all neonatal deaths. Between 2010 and 2019, birth defects as a proportion of child mortality in the region increased from 6.2 percent to 9.2 percent, and in four countries, birth defects now contribute to more than 20 percent of under-five mortality,” says Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for South-east Asia.
Infant screen time impacts school academic performance
Viewing electronic digital screens during infancy adversely impacts academic performance in primary school, says a study published in JAMA Pediatrics (February). According to the study which analysed data from GUSTO (Growing Up in Singapore Towards Health Outcomes), Singapore’s most comprehensive birth cohort study, higher screen time during infancy is associated with poorer executive functioning when the child is nine years old. Executive functioning skills are mental processes that “enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.”
The study surveyed 437 children who underwent electroencephalography (EEG) scans at age one, 18 months and nine years old. Researchers also asked parents to report each child’s screen time.
The study’s conclusions support recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which advises zero screen time for infants until 18 months, with the exception of video chatting.
Lack of independent play cause of children’s declining mental health
The rise in mental health disorders in children and teens is attributed to a decline in opportunities for independent play, says a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics (March). According to researchers of Florida Atlantic University, decrease in opportunities to participate in activities independent of direct observation and control by adults has deprived children of the health independence they need, resulting in record levels of anxiety, melncholy, and suicides among children and youth.
“Parents are regularly subjected to messages about the dangers that might befall unsupervised children and the value of high achievement in school. But they hear few countervailing messages that if children are to grow up well-adjusted, they need ever-increasing opportunities for independent activity, including self-directed play and meaningful contributions to family and community life, which are signs that they are trusted, responsible, and capable,” says David F. Bjorklund, co-author and psychology professor at Florida Atlantic University.
The study also revealed that children’s freedom to engage in activities that involve some degree of risk has dropped over the years.
