Description

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide (Monteiro et al, 1995; Flegal et al, 2001; Wang and Dietz, 2002). Available data from studies in India also indicate that the prevalence of over-nutrition is rising in school children especially in those from urban high-income group (Ramachandran et al, 2002; Vijaylakshmi et al, 2002). Studies carried out by the Nutrition Foundation of India in the nineties in Public schools in Delhi showed that over-nutrition begins right from play school age (4-5 years) (Sharma et al, 2006). Low levels of physical activity, diets rich in fats and oils, sugars and less fiber are some important factors resulting in over-nutrition (Popkin et al, 2002; Kapoor et al, 2003