'Health & Lifestyle' is a weekly column on how lifestyles impact on health and wellness.
Here is yet another survey with sobering conclusions about the state of health of the nation: Obesity is setting in earlier than the adolescence phase for Indian children.
A pan-Indian survey on physical fitness of urban school children, conducted by the Bangalore-based EduSports found that 25 per cent of children above eight years are obese and overweight. Worse still, 18 per cent of children below seven years are obese or overweight. Since we are talking figures, let us pack this in: 23 per cent of the children between five and 14 years had a high body mass index. The abnormal BMI also reflected lower flexibility, muscle strength and endurance levels of the children.
EduSports undertook the survey to identify the overall fitness levels of children in Indian schools, believing that this would be a key indicator of the child's performance. According to Saumil Majumdar, director, Edusports, the survey was taken up to identify the gaps in physical education for children. “Our educational system favours academics over everything else, compromising the overall development of children.”
The study was conducted among 4,098 children in 21 schools across National Capital Region, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Mangalore, Lucknow, Indore, Raipur, Madurai, Mohali, Baroda, Amritsar, Panipat and Moga. This included three schools in Tamil Nadu - two in Madurai, and one school in Chennai. This was done during the 2009 – 2010 academic year.
Five factors measured
All children were in the 5-14 years age group and the factors that were measured included Body Mass Index, aerobic (walk/run) and anaerobic (sprinting) capacities, muscle strength, endurance and flexibility.
Srinivasa Rao, cricket coach, Santhome Higher Secondary School, says not all schools are keen on physical education, and even in those schools that have active sports teams, only a small percentage of the kids are involved. “Maybe 70-80 students in an entire school are keen on sports, in a group of say 2,000- 3,000 children. These other kids get one or two hours of P.T. in a week. Sports should be made compulsory for all children and the best place to do so would be the school.”
However, there is good news too. Start young is the motto: stepping up activities right from the KG classes will make a huge difference, the second phase of the study showed. “With a nine-month, in-curriculum physical education programme introduced in three schools, there was a significant improvement over the above five criteria for these children,” Mr. Majumdar says.
Post the nine-month period, they found endurance of children went up by over 17 per cent; abdominal strength increased by 37.5 per cent; the percentage of children with the right BMI increased to 67.72 per cent. As for flexibility, it went up by almost four per cent.
Keywords: health issues, obesity, EduSports
This is the consequence of modern life style, trying to imitate everything from the West. When we were students, walked to school and college, ate home cooked food. Now school bus, fast food, and snacks. Worrying aspect is middle class parents are proud of being children obese/ overweight - in their eyes children are well fed and sign of prosperity!
This Survey is false because they would have considered only the city children. With so many poor people in our country, we cannot have 18% obesity for our children. That too only 21 schools across cities / towns were considered.
Really shocking. Not only school but we parents are also responsible for this. We should make them aware of the consequences of obesity like diabetes.joint pain etc at early age.avoid giving them more of fried food and give them fresh green vegetables and fruits. Especially amla juice really helps to reduce weight. Come let us make future indians slim and smart and healthy. Vijay inamdar. kabbur road dharwad karnataka
The 28,000 cr-rupee question is - why can't these children find enough facilities to exercise?
Dear Friends,
This is a very bad news to the country. Besides the reason of school not focusing on the physical activity, parents also don't let kids to play, instead insist them to study study study.
And the growing income standard , effordability, easy access , Watching TV, high calories JUNK/FAST food, Irregular food habits also the reasons.
In the urban environment there is no place and our education system allows no time to children to play or indulge in other leisure activities. The TV and home work robs the children of any inclination towards physical activity. Schools do not have any play fields or sports equipment to encourage physical activity amongst children. The traditional Indian cuisine is amongst the healthiest, but processed and fast foods, colas and junk are taking their toll. We Indians are averse to physical culture and most would rather while away their time than exert on the play field. Parents and teachers too are quite ignorant of the benefits of physical culture and organised sport and we only pay lip service to any physical training which is imparted in our schools. I suppose there is a need to re-educate ourselves and stress the benefits of physical activities. Probably the government and NGOs should play a bigger role.
its pretty obvious..where is the place for kids to play? and thanks to our education society because of the way kids are burdened right from birth along with private tutions and homework, that they just want to end up their childhood as soon as possible. Moreover contribution of video games and online games have amplified the cause of obesity.
Please suggest places in south Bangalore where intensive physical education and sports training is given to children with autism who have low motivation level or difficulty in communication.
Did any body consider how much steroids these kids has been pumped with so far by their doctors to treat ailments and How many Kilograms of Paracetamol these kids have consumed so far..? Is it relevant..?
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