If recent statistics are any indication, young India is heavier today than ever before. In Mumbai alone, 21 per cent of school children between the ages of 11 and 15 are overweight; while 16 per cent are obese, according to a 2019 study conducted by Aastha Healthcare. India is home to the second-highest number of obese children in the world, with 14.4 million reported cases, as per a 2019 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study went on to name India as one of the 70 countries globally where the incidence of obesity has doubled since 1980.

These figures paint a grim picture for an entire generation of Indians who are now at an increased risk of high cholesterol and blood pressure (risk factors for cardiovascular diseases). They are also more likely to suffer from impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance (which contribute to Type 2 diabetes), contend with breathing problems such as sleep apnoea and asthma, and may experience a range of joint problems at a much earlier age, says Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker, a bariatric and laparoscopic surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospitals. Obesity can also have lasting impact on a child's physical health, social and emotional well-being, and self-esteem. It has often been associated with poor academic performance and a reduced quality of life.