Why India’s overall NCD burden is rising among children

NEW DELHI: India is seeing a significant rise in cases of non communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension among children.

Health experts on Monday blamed the surge on ever-increasing consumption of junk food that is loaded with excess and unhealthy sugar, salt and fat.

Speaking to IANS, Dr Sathya Sriram, CEO - Preventive Health, Apollo, shared that among Indian children there has been a notable increase in obesity, pre-diabetes, fatty liver disease, and hypertension -- “with obesity cases tripling and hypertension quadrupling in the past five years”.

These diseases, which were till a decade ago, largely associated with adulthood, are now increasing “in an age group we have never considered in the past.

At Apollo, we have observed that the rate of incidence of NCDs (diabetes, obesity, hypertension, etc.) has nearly doubled in children between 5-17 years of age over the past decade”.

Dr Sriram noted that 5-17 years is an age group where there should ‘technically and historically’ not be a growing impact of lifestyle diseases.

However Apollo’s data, based on an analysis of nearly 10,000 screenings across walk-ins and campus outreach, showed 17 per cent prediabetes cases -- projecting a potentially early onset of diabetes as they step into adulthood.

The incidence of diabetes was also found to have doubled in these ages over the past 5 years -- from 1.37 per cent in 2018 to 3.68 per cent in 2023 across a nearly similar sample size, as indicated by HbA1C levels.

Similarly, the data also showed hypertension cases in children as young as 7-year-olds, which is roughly 6 per cent of those screened, Dr Sriram said.

A sedentary lifestyle and genetic predisposition are important risk factors.

But, Dr Arun Gupta, a paediatrician and Convener of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) -- a national think-tank on nutrition, blames the surge on rising childhood obesity, majorly caused by the increased consumption of junk or ultra processed foods (UPF).

“Obesity is a precursor for the non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cancer,” he told IANS.

He cited the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) 3,4 and 5, which shows obesity is quickly rising in children and adult men and women.

This can also be seen in the context of the growth of the ultra processed food industry in India, said Dr Gupta.

A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report showed that in India, the UPF industry grew at a compound annual growth rate of 13.37 per cent in terms of retail sales value between 2011 and 2021.

It is expected that UPF would expand more quickly than staple foods. The doctor added that even the families are not bothered about what the children are eating.

“For example, biscuits are a very common junk food. While it seems unharmful, it contains salt, sugar and fats more than the WHO recommendations for daily intake. Lack of awareness on the risk it poses can explain why its consumption is rising among kids,” he told IANS.

Dr Sriram also highlighted the rise of mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression in children, which is further intensified by social and environmental factors.

“Lifestyle shifts towards greater screen time are not only leading to orthopaedic issues but also contributing to learning problems in children,” he told IANS.

“Beyond non-communicable diseases and early mental health issues, a variety of conditions including vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, functional changes, and vision and hearing problems are important factors that can share a child’s future health.

"These conditions, if unmanaged, can lead to serious complications and affect life quality and longevity,” Dr Sriram said.

Dr Gupta called for “strict and clear regulation” on UPFs.

“It would be a good step if children are encouraged to eat real food in their school canteen,” he said, noting that it will then also be extended at family level.

Dr Sriram advised parents to make health check-ups a routine part of children, instead of waiting for illness.

“These check-ups are essential not just for disease prevention but also for ensuring your child's overall well-being and peak performance in all areas of life,” he said.