Nutritional Profile of Selected overweight and Obese School Going Children of Coimbatore City

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a complex condition that results from an imbalance of energy intake and expenditure. The adipose tissue mass is enlarged out of proportion to other body tissues in this condition. In normal growth, the greatest level of fatness (-25%) occurs at the age of six months. In lean children, the fat ceil size decreases. However, this decrease does not occur in obese children. Recent data from the World Health Organization revealed that the prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide is 16.5 per cent and in India it accounts to 12.4 per cent in boys and 9.9 per cent in girls. According to Knoon, the prevalence rates of overweight end obesity among children in India are 12.8 and 10.3 per cent respectively. An obesogenic environment which encourages excess food intake plays a crucial role in the epidemic of childhood obesity and eating disorders.