Addressing Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Focus on India and South Africa

The global prevalence of childhood overweightness and obesity is increasing due to unhealthy diets and a lack of physical activity. A decrease in exclusive breastfeeding of children below 6 months, increased urbanisation, changes in economic status, etc. influence diets and the physical activity of children and lead to increased childhood overweightness and obesity. Childhood overweightness and obesity have negative consequences on a child’s physical and mental health. An upsurge of indoor sedentary activities deprives children of physical activity andprevents them from gaining important social and behavioural skills they would learn through social interaction with other children. Obese children are prone to discrimination by society, especially in schools, which can cause lower self-esteem and may further lead to poor mental health and depression.The immense decrease in exclusive breastfeeding of children below 6 months is concurrent with the increasing levels of obesity and overweightness. Several studies have proved that breastfeeding reduces the chances of developing many diseases in the first two years of a child’s life as well as later in life, including lower chances of the child becoming obese. India and South Africa, two developing countries,have already introduced measures for the prevention of childhood obesity. India’s introduction of community health workers (ASHAs) has already aided in the promotion of breastfeeding. South Africa’s sugar tax policy forimplementation in 2017 should have far-reaching effects in lowering childhood overweightness and obesity in the country. Apart from making the already existing interventions more efficient, it is also essential to successfully adopt and implement measures suggested by WHO.