Malnutrition remains a huge challenge in India. But paradoxically, child obesity is on the rise.
India has the most number of obese kids in the world after China, and there's not enough being done to address the problem.
Our India correspondent Neha Poonia reports.
In: 9-year old...
Out: SOC
Dur: 2:35
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ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
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RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
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ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
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VO:
9-year-old Hansika Bhargava has just been diagnosed as obese. Her mother Namita Bhargava says she was always worried that her daughter wasn't active enough for her age but didn't ever think that it would get this bad, so quickly.
<<Bite: Namita Bhargava, Mother>>
We had a laid-back attitude. We didn't do anything despite the doctor warning us. We thought she's too young for something like this. Recently, she started having knee pain and headaches, that's when we knew all was not well.
VO:
Like Hansika, 14 million children in India are obese – more than double the number 25 years ago. Paediatrician Anupama Gupta says this increase cuts across the income divide.
<<Bite: Dr Anupama Gupta, Paediatrician>>
Surprisingly, this increase is not as per social status. You don't see that this is only in the urban population, it's also among the poor. There is obesity there as well which is another kind of malnutrition
VO:
Two years ago, India's Women and Child Welfare Ministry identified junk food as the biggest factor in the rise of child obesity.
Obesity puts children at the risk of cardiovascular diseases and even depression - and the government says, children in urban areas are more prone to early diabetes and hypertension than those in rural parts of India.
Ministry officials have said they hope all schools will ban the sale of junk food on and near the campus.
But schools are not duty bound to comply.
Genesis Global is among the few schools in India that doesn't allow the sale of junk food. All students have to eat meals cooked on campus- that have been approved by a nutritionist. The school's director Pramod Sharma claims the children aren't allowed to bring food from home either
<<Pramod Sharma, Director, Genesis>>
We were very clear that we didn't want any junk food- no aerated drink. That policy has been followed throughout and parents are very happy with this.
VO:
But unlike Genesis, most Indian schools don't have the resources needed to ensure children are eating nutritious meals during school hours.
And with the government leaving the responsibility of limiting access to such food entirely to schools, tackling child obesity remains an uphill task.
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India has the most number of obese kids in the world after China, and there's not enough being done to address the problem.
Our India correspondent Neha Poonia reports.
In: 9-year old...
Out: SOC
Dur: 2:35
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
SCRIPT:
VO:
9-year-old Hansika Bhargava has just been diagnosed as obese. Her mother Namita Bhargava says she was always worried that her daughter wasn't active enough for her age but didn't ever think that it would get this bad, so quickly.
<<Bite: Namita Bhargava, Mother>>
We had a laid-back attitude. We didn't do anything despite the doctor warning us. We thought she's too young for something like this. Recently, she started having knee pain and headaches, that's when we knew all was not well.
VO:
Like Hansika, 14 million children in India are obese – more than double the number 25 years ago. Paediatrician Anupama Gupta says this increase cuts across the income divide.
<<Bite: Dr Anupama Gupta, Paediatrician>>
Surprisingly, this increase is not as per social status. You don't see that this is only in the urban population, it's also among the poor. There is obesity there as well which is another kind of malnutrition
VO:
Two years ago, India's Women and Child Welfare Ministry identified junk food as the biggest factor in the rise of child obesity.
Obesity puts children at the risk of cardiovascular diseases and even depression - and the government says, children in urban areas are more prone to early diabetes and hypertension than those in rural parts of India.
Ministry officials have said they hope all schools will ban the sale of junk food on and near the campus.
But schools are not duty bound to comply.
Genesis Global is among the few schools in India that doesn't allow the sale of junk food. All students have to eat meals cooked on campus- that have been approved by a nutritionist. The school's director Pramod Sharma claims the children aren't allowed to bring food from home either
<<Pramod Sharma, Director, Genesis>>
We were very clear that we didn't want any junk food- no aerated drink. That policy has been followed throughout and parents are very happy with this.
VO:
But unlike Genesis, most Indian schools don't have the resources needed to ensure children are eating nutritious meals during school hours.
And with the government leaving the responsibility of limiting access to such food entirely to schools, tackling child obesity remains an uphill task.
Sign Off.
ENDS