Paediatric Nutrition and Child Health

1. Paediatric Nutrition and Child Health in India The World Obesity Federation projects that over 27 million Indian children aged 5–19 years may be living with obesity by 2035, placing India among the top 10 countries globally in terms of childhood obesity burden. A recent Lancet global analysis also echoes this concern, reporting that the number of overweight or obese children in India grew from 0.4 million in 1990 to 12.5 million in 2022. The juxtaposition of India’s nutrition landscape where both undernutrition and overnutrition coexist within the same communities reflects India’s ongoing epidemiological and nutritional transition, as the country moves from infectious to chronic diseases and from scarcity to excess.Obesity is no longer confined to high-income households, it is now a shared reality of every socioeconomic stratum, fuelled by urbanization, dietary shifts and sedentary lifestyles. Yet, the origins of this epidemic stretch far earlier than adolescence or even childhood; they lie in the first thousand days of life, from conception through a child’s second birthday. Evidence increasingly supports the idea that nutrition and environment during early life profoundly influence lifelong health. The concept of developmental origins of health and disease explains how early exposures “ program ” the body’s metabolic and hormonal systems. Nutritional deprivation in the early years makes the body prone to storing more fat and conversely, overnutrition during infancy can alter the hormonal and cellular mechanisms that regulate appetite, fat storage and insulin sensitivity, leading to a lifelong predisposition to obesity and metabolic disease.

2. The first 1000 days framework emphasizes that the time from conception to two years represents the most critical period for establishing metabolic resilience and cognitive potential. A child’s growth trajectory in the first two years is a powerful predictor of future health outcomes including the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity in adulthood. In this sense, India’s rising burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is as much a reflection of early nutritional environments as it is of adult behaviours. However, biology interacts powerfully with the environment, and today’s food and lifestyle patterns make that interaction increasingly toxic. India’s food environment has been reshaped by the rise of ultra-processed foods- products high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats which are aggressively marketed to children through television, targeted packaging and digital media.

3. Global food and beverage companies have found fertile ground in aspirational Indian households, where processed snacks and sugary drinks are often equated with convenience, modernity and desirable social status. This phenomenon has only been amplified by the rise of social media, where trends like mukbang videos and influencer-driven content glamourize overconsumption. The pandemic further intensified this lifestyle shift, lockdowns restricted movement, increased screen time, and reduced opportunities for outdoor play. Cultural perceptions add another layer of complexity, as in many parts of India, plumpness is still seen as a sign of health and prosperity, and parental indulgence often translates into high calorie feeding practices. For children from low-income backgrounds, processed foods often serve as affordable treats, while nutrient-rich options like fruits /dairy may remain economically out of reach. The genetic disposition of south Asian population to store fat viscerally even at lower BMIs, further increases the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.This intersection of biological vulnerability and cultural practice have created an environment which threatens the future of India’s children. Read More About Paediatric Nutrition and Child Health in India