A puzzling survey shows that only 18% of urban children from grade 6 to 10 in India eat fruits on a regular basis. This proves unhealthy eating habits among the vast majority of children in the country.
The survey was done by Podar Education Group that runs in over 100 schools across the country.
The survey was analyzed after responses from 1,350 parents of children in metro cities in the country.
It also revealed that only 35% of the children consume vegetables as part of their every meal.
Podar Education Group Trustee, Raghav Podar stated, “The World Health Organisation (WHO) does say that childhood obesity is an ‘exploding nightmare’ in the developing world.”
A study published in the journal Lancet by WHO and Imperial College London showed that obese children aged between 5 and 19 years have increased by tenfold in the past four decades worldwide.
Podar explained, “Healthy childhoods are critical to the country, and require strong cohesive work between the parents and schools.”
The survey in India also showed that 50% of children consume unhealthy junk food on a regular basis.
Child nutritionist, Sripriya Venkiteswaran said, “This survey clearly indicates that teaching a child about good nutrition is not just about giving them a list of healthy foods that he or she can eat, but more about ‘how much’ and ‘when’ to eat.”
She further added, “For example, teach them about age-appropriate portion sizes and how to limit themselves when they go out to birthday parties or buffet spreads. Teach them to eat at regular intervals, not skip meals and keep a gap of at least three hours between dinner and bed-time.”
The only positive side of the survey was that 76% of the parents said their children played outdoor sports while only 24% said they didn’t.
A sports educationist and Co-Founder of EduSports, Parminder Gill explained, “It is important for every child to have 60 minutes of moderately rigorous play every day to be fitter and healthier. Lack of play also leads to slow cognitive skills, lower social skills, threat of diseases such as asthma, diabetes, etc., and aggressive behavior.”
