Every human being wishes to have healthy children who would grow to be
healthy adults and enjoy a long life. It is clear that in many countries this aim may be
unachievable for number of years because many specific adult health problems have their
origins in childhood. One such health problem is "Childhood Obesity"
All mothers want to have chubby babies so, increasing prevalence of obesity has
become a most common and serious nutritional disorder in children. Many mothers
believe that childhood fat is puppy fat, which children will lose as they grow up. But
children who are obese before age five seem to have greater risk of adult obesity.
Childhood obesity has become a worldwide phenomenon cutting across regional
and economic barriers. It has emerged as an epidemic not only in the developed countries
but also in the developing countries that are in rapid epidemiological transition, and India
is no exception (Yadavs., 2001). According to Bhave (2004), school based data in India
demonstrates prevalence of obesity in the range of 5-6% to 24% among children and
adolescents. Children learn a lot from school, environment and experience. Whether a
child is a member of our family or not, it is our responsibility to help the child to grow in
a healthy way.
