Poor lifestyle exposes youth to heart ailments, diabetes: Experts

Around 50 per cent children living in slum areas are underweight and malnourished, while 30 per cent of the children in urban centres are overweight and obese. A survey report released by the Child Rights and You (CRY), stated this. Obesity among children causes high cholesterol levels, which further leads to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Doctors point out that poor lifestyle deteriorates the health of youngsters, if not addressed, can cause a public health emergency. Poor diet, lack of proper sleep and exercise are considered to be the foremost factors which lead to various ailments among youngsters. Taking cognizance of the adverse health effects, junk food may have been banned from the canteens in Delhi government schools, however still a lot more needs to be done. 

According to a survey conducted by private medical institutes, among 550 school-going students in Delhi, one third are deprived of adequate sleep. Based on the study, the major reason for the lack of sleep is late night TV watching and the increased use of Internet.

Experts say unhealthy lifestyle, which many children in the urban setup are adopting, could increase the risk of getting a heart attack or diabetes in their late 20’s to early 30’s. 

A senior cardiologist at the Safdarjung Hospital said out of around 300 patients he sees daily, 40 per cent are aged between 30 and 45 years, while five per cent in their 20’s have high cholesterol levels.

The reasons attributed by experts for the increase of ailments among youngsters are high cholesterol levels and weak immunity system due to less anti-oxidants in the body system. They reiterated that consumption of diet rich in carbohydrate, less exercise, smoking and excessive drinking are affecting the health of youngsters.

As a body’s metabolic functioning starts getting affected from the age of 11, doctors advise that the normal body mass index must be ensured by children for avoiding future problems.