Is obesity predisposing our children to various lifestyle diseases rather early in life? It seems so, at least going by the results of a city-based study.
Among nearly 2,000 children in the age group of eight to 17, the prevalence of hypertension is 17.4 per cent. The prevalence of pre-hypertension is nearly 8 per cent.
“These are merely warning bells,” says Vijay Vishwanathan, head, M.V. Diabetes Centre. “We are measuring hypertension in children with a chart that includes factors such as body weight and age too. As such, they don’t require treatment. But they certainly need some lifestyle counselling.”
A. Vigneswari, the principal investigator of the study, explains the modus operandi.
Actual blood pressure is measured using a home measuring device, and these values are plotted on a chart evolved by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP), which evaluates risk by factoring in the age, gender and height of the children.
Childhood obesity, particularly central obesity, is a major factor that causes hypertension, Dr. Vigneswari says.
“By central obesity, we mean the waist circumference. There is clear evidence to show that a wide waist predisposes a child to hypertension.”
The study forms the baseline data for an intervention project — the Chennai Slim and Fit Programme. This is an initiative to study obesity and overweight in CBSE schools, and the effects of lifestyle interventions, in the form of diet and exercise, on school children who have weight problems.
The study found 32.4 per cent of children either overweight or obese, with boys being more overweight than girls. High blood pressure is also more common among boys, while more girls are in the pre-hypertensive stage.
“There is no need to treat them with drugs at this stage. Lifestyle counselling and positive altering of sedentary habits and diet, however, is essential. If there is no intervention at this stage, these children will go on to have advanced stages of the disease very early in life,” says Dr. Vishwanathan.
Counselling has been done, and changes have been set in motion already; and the effects of it on the children will be evaluated soon, he says.
