Study conducted by Nutrition Research Centre also finds that 8.6 per cent of children are obese

Around 44.5 per cent children in the age group of 10-13 years in the State are underweight. This has been revealed by a study conducted by the Nutrition Research Centre under the Health Department.

State Nutrition Officer K.T. Sreelatha told The Hindu that around 58,052 children were studied as part of the Statewide survey. While 44.5 per cent children are underweight, 8.6 per cent were found to be obese, she added.

It was revealed that State intervention had improved the nutritional status in Palakkad and Wayanad districts where more than 50 per cent children were found to be underweight. The finding is based on a resurvey conducted in the two districts, Ms. Sreelatha said. Children of classes VI, VII, and VIII, who had been studied during the initial survey, were studied again when they were in classes VIII ,IX, and X.

While 50.3 per cent children were initially found to be underweight in Wayanad district, State intervention brought it down to 34 per cent, according to the resurvey. In Palakkad district, the intervention brought the figures down from 52.6 per cent to 38 per cent.

The number of obese children in the two districts was also less compared to other districts — 3.2 per cent in Wayanad and 2.8 per cent in Palakkad.

Awareness sessions

Children in the two districts were monitored on the basis of their food intake and inputs provided by parents and teachers.

The Health Department also organised awareness sessions where teachers and parents were given nutrition training.

The channel was utilised to provide tips to make children aware of their nutritional status, and how it affected them in the future.

Since the intervention had brought in a major improvement in the two districts, the State is likely to mull over the results to bring out a Health Policy.

Nutrition plays a major role in the prevention of non-communicable disease. Incidentally, the State had in recent years become the hub of chronic diabetes and hypertension.