Post pandemic, obesity becoming common problem among Bengaluru children

Obesity cases among children in the city have increased post the pandemic, pediatricians have observed.

They attribute the spurt to overeating and inactivity, which children have gotten used to while staying indoors during the lockdown.

Dr Vani H N, Associate Professor (Pediatric Endocrinology) at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH), says she gets around 15 referrals of children with obesity-related issues per month now, compared to seven to eight cases pre-Covid.

The children, mostly adolescents, would have approached other doctors for a different issue, the root cause of which is obesity. "Boys often come with issues like breast development and micropenis, whereas girls suffer from menstrual irregularities. Acne, increased pigmentation around the neck — a sign of insulin resistance — are also common."

If children in general pediatrics are screened, the number of cases would be much higher, says Dr Vani.

Surprisingly, the cases are not just from Bengaluru, but also from surrounding villages, where obesity is becoming common among children due to availability of packaged junk food such as chips, Dr Vani says.

A recent study by IGICH among its patients with Type 1 diabetes has revealed weight increase by 25 to 30%, especially among those aged 10-18.

At Jayanagar’s Sagar Hospitals, Chief Clinical Dietician Dr Veena Bhatta says she now sees 8 to 10 cases of obese children compared to two to three pre-Covid. These children hail from well-to-do families who approach her exclusively for obesity.

"We ask them to do a series of tests, which may show issues like hormonal changes or thyroid problems, especially in adolescents. These get noticed only when they come to the hospital," says Dr Bhatta.

Pediatrician Dr Shivaprakash Sosale, who sees many cases of obese children in his private practice post Covid, says, "In cases of obesity, the issue is the imbalance in nutrition — the child will have excess nutrition in some aspects but lack some other types of nutrition. So, obesity is a form of malnutrition itself."

Doctors advise these children and their families to make lifestyle changes such as following a healthy diet and regular exercise.

“Children tend to eat more junk with increasing screentime. Physical activities have also decreased due to lack of open spaces. Children attend tuition and extracurricular activities, but not sports,” says Dr Vani. "The family diet itself should change. Often the parents themselves will be obese, so both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the child’s obesity."

Dr G V Basavaraj, who heads the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, says post-Covid, obesity has increased among children globally. "As per global data, 30 to 40% children in urban areas are obese now."