Over 35% of teenagers in Delhi suffer from obesity, reveals survey

In the latest survey, it has been found that over 35% of teenagers in Delhi are suffering from obesity, a condition which affects their emotional wellness, confidence, and self-esteem, and has been seen as a road to depression and other illness.

According to the survey, titled 'Juvenile Obesity', 38.5% of children aged 5 to 9 years were found obese and among those aged 10 to 14 years, 40.1% were overweight. The survey was conducted over 1,000 children from Delhi.

As per the statistics, 29.7% children experienced a dip in "happiness level", 28.3% socialised less and 20.2% were seen more irritable, due to obesity.

“They (the children) do not burn any calories after eating late at night as they sleep after that and at the same time during the day, they are lethargic thus burning very fewer calories in the day”, Pradeep Chowbey, chairman of the Department of Minimal Access, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Max Healthcare, said in a statement.

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About 26% obese children reported experiencing bullying, while 25% had been body shamed. The stress caused by these pressures resulted into binge-eating, which further exacerbates the case.

The survey also revealed that 84.7% of teenagers consume junk two to three times a week.