Lok Sabha Question No. 3670 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Obesity among Children
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Bharat Singh Kushwah

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3670 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST MARCH 2025

## OBESITYAMONG CHILDREN

## †3670. SHRI BHARAT SINGH KUSHWAH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that India ranks second in the world in terms of childhood obesity and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to reduce and eradicate the problem of obesity among children;
- (c) whether the Government has any data regarding childhood obesity and its impact on their learning and cognitive development; and
- (d) so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) to (d) As per National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21), the prevalence of overweight (weight-for-height) among children under 5 years is 3.4 percent. The international publications provide a range for the prevalence of overweight in children less than five years, which varies across regions and countries.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National Health Mission (NHM), which includes interventions to address nutrition among children including obesity across the country, as placed below:

-  Eat Right Movement launched by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) aims to engage and enable citizens including children to improve their health and wellbeing by eating healthy and nutritious foods and creates public awareness that regular and excessive consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and fat leads to obesity.
-  Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA) Programme is implemented to improve breastfeeding coverage which includes early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months followed by counselling on age-appropriate complementary feeding practices.

-  Under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK) , Children from birth to six years of age are screened at Anganwadi centres twice a year and children from 6 years till 18 years of age enrolled in Government and Government aided schools are screened once a year for 4 Ds- Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies and Development delays, spanning 32 common health conditions for early detection, treatment and management.
-  Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) support the adolescents (10-19 years) by providing counselling services on major adolescent health issues including the nutrition , non communicable diseases and promotion of healthy lifestyle
-  School Health & Wellness Programme (SH&WP) a joint initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education fosters growth, development and educational achievement of school going children by promoting their health and wellbeing.
-  Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and creating awareness on maternal and child care including nutrition in convergence with Ministry of Women and Child Development.
-  Community Based care of New-born and Young Children is implemented under Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care of Young Children (HBYC) program, structured home visits are performed by ASHAs to improve child rearing practices including promotion of nutritional activities among children.
-  Field level workers as AWW, ANMs, CHOs and ASHAs promote awareness on nutrition, it's management and healthy diets.

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