AUTHOR=Ramachandran Prema , Kalaivani K. 

TITLE=Overnutrition in Indian Children: Challenges and Opportunities

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.814900

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.814900

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Globally children from all segments of population face dual nutrition burden. SDG targets to be achieved by 2030 include halting the rise in overnutrition. Development of WHO standards for BMI-for-age enabled assessment of over- and under-nutrition in short-statured children.
In India, Annual Health Survey (2014) and District Level Household Survey (2013) undertook measurement of height/length and weight (AHS 557016 and DLHS4 295663) in the 0-18 year of age. Across 0-18 years the mean BMI-for-age of Indian boys and girls was lower than the mean of the WHO standards but the trajectory followed was similar. Therefore, Indian high risk under- and over-nourished children can be monitored using the WHO BMI-for-age curve.
Prevalence of over-nutrition in 0-18 year children were computed from these two surveys using the WHO standards for BMI-for-age (BAZ > +2 in 0-5 and BAZ >+1 in 5-18 year children), as well as uniform norms of either > +1or > +2 BAZ across 0-18 years.  Irrespective of the cut-off used for BMI-for-age, prevalence of over-nutrition was higher in pre-school as compared to school age children. Use of BAZ>+1   results in higher prevalence of over-nutrition in school age children.
With use of BAZ >+2 across 0-18 years prevalence of over-nutrition was relatively low in all age groups. The existing pre-school and school nutrition programmes can take up an integrated programme aimed at early detection and effective management of both under- (BAZ<-2) and over-nutrition (BAZ >+2) in 0-18 year children and strive to achieve SDG targets.