Indian teens rank low on BMI, among shortest

News: A Study published in The Lancet has provided new estimates for height and Body Mass Index(BMI) trends in 2019 across 200 countries after analysing data from 2,181 studies.

Facts:

• Body Mass Index(BMI):It is measured as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres.The normal BMI ranges between 20 and 25.
• India’s Rank in BMI:
  • The study has ranked India at the 196th spot.India’s 19-year-old boys and girls have a BMI of 20.1.
  • Comparatively, China ranks 88 with its boys having a BMI of 23 and 119 for its girls at 22.2.
• Height: Indian teens are among the shortest in the world.India’s boys ranked 180th with an average height of 5.46 feet while girls ranked 182nd with an average height of 5.06 feet.
• Analysis of India’s Situation:
  • In developing countries like India, there is a dual burden of overnutrition as well as undernutrition.
  • However, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents of both Indian girls and boys is lower when compared to children of developed nations.
• Suggestions:
  • There is a need for regular diet and nutrition surveys in India to avert the increase of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents.

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