‘Children and adolescents at high risk of heart problems’

NEW DELHI: Children between 10 and 19 year across India face an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to an analysis prepared on the basis of Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS).

The survey was released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare last month.

The analysis was released in a report titled, ‘Adolescents, Diets and Nutrition: Growing Well in a Changing World’ at a meeting held at the Niti Aayog together with UNICEF India on Thursday.

The report further says that risks for non-communicable diseases are established in childhood and adolescence. For example, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension among adolescents is increasing. The second decade of life (10 to 19 years), is therefore critical to intervene in early adolescence to prevent such diseases, the report adds.

Over 80 percent of adolescents also suffer from ‘hidden hunger,’ which is a deficiency of one or more micro-nutrients such as iron, folate, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B 12 and vitamin D,the report highlights, adding that almost all adolescents in India have unhealthy or poor diet and this is the main cause for all forms of malnutrition.
Less than 10 percent of boys and girls eat fruits and eggs daily and over 25 percent of adolescent does not consume green leafy vegetables even once a week, but milk products are consumed by 50 percent of adolescents daily, the analysis says.

This skewed food priority has not only led to non-communicable diseases among them but also caused other deficiency in them which has led to shortness, obesity and thinness.

According to the report, about 6.3 crore girls and 8.1 crore boys are either short, thin, overweight or obese. Also,economic prosperity has led to more spending on fried foods, junk foods, sweets and aerated drinks, it has exposed the children between 10 to 19 year old to risk of diabetes and heart disease, the report warns.