Despite the State boasting best indicators on child development, certain disturbing trends have emerged in recent years.
A study of schoolchildren in the age group of 10-12 years in Kochi Corporation and the nearby rural areas has shown that 11.25 per cent in urban areas and 10.7 per cent in rural areas were severely underweight.
On the other extreme of the graph were obese children who constituted 9.4 per cent in urban areas and 2.9 per cent in rural areas.
Among the urban children, 17.15 per cent were in the overweight category while in the rural sampling, 4.7 per cent were overweight.
The study by consultant clinical nutritionist Mumtaz Khalid Ismail — former nutrition consultant of UNICEF and former State nutrition consultant, National Rural Health Mission — with a sample size of 1,058 children indicated that the body mass index (BMI) of the students did not match the required standards for the age group as provided by the World Health Organisation.
Dr. Khalid said the National Family Health Survey-3 conducted in 2005-06 had pointed to 27-29 per cent malnutrition in children while at the same time obesity was catching up to match the West. The study by Dr. Khalid indicated that children had a total low energy intake per day with severe deficit of iron and calcium.
Even the intake of protein and visible fat was low.
It showed that the total nutrient intake fell much short of the recommendations of the Indian Council of Medical Research on dietary allowances for the 10-12 years age group. An iron intake deficit of -56.19 per cent was found among girls in rural areas, while in the case of urban areas the deficit was at -46.76 per cent. Calcium intake deficit was at -64.09 per cent among girls in rural areas and at -36.06 per cent in urban areas. These indications are a major cause of concern as nutrition is directly linked to all aspects of growth and development of children. The children are reaching their puberty and nutrition plays an important part in the development of body and mind, said Dr. Khalid. Among boys, the iron intake deficit was at -45.29 per cent in rural areas and at -29.28 in urban areas, while calcium intake deficit was found to be -65.35 per cent in rural areas and -33.81 in urban areas. Skipping meals, picky eating and no fixed time schedule were found to be the top three reasons for deficiency in nutrient intake. As the urban children had more exposure to eating out, levels of obesity were more, as reflected in the sample study.
