Prediabetes, obesity among adolescents in Chennai rose sharply over 17 years, study finds
A study comparing data from 2006 and 2023 reveals a significant increase in prediabetes and obesity among adolescents in Chennai. Researchers warn that these metabolic health trends suggest a future rise in cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes in the region.
Why it matters
The findings underscore a growing public health crisis regarding metabolic health in urban Indian youth, necessitating urgent policy and lifestyle interventions.
The prevalence of prediabetes and obesity among adolescent school children in Chennai has risen sharply over the past 17 years, according to a new study that compared data collected in 2023 with a similar survey conducted in 2006. Researchers say the findings point to worsening metabolic health among children and could foreshadow a growing burden of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in young adults.
Published in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews , the study analysed 954 students aged 12 to 19 years from government and private schools catering largely to low- and middle-income families in Chennai. Their findings were compared with data from 1,080 students surveyed using the same methodology in 2006.
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