13 pc of state's children underweight
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 05 2022: Lack of nutritious foods is affecting the health of children with the state reporting underweight in 13 per cent of children under the age of five years, as per National Family Health Survey - 5 report.

According to the Report, prevalence of underweight is more profound in rural areas especially in families with large number of children.

Most of these children belong to ST, Muslim and Christian community, whose families lack proper educational background.

Maximum of the underweight children are boys.

District-wise data shows maximum number of underweight children in Chandel district with 34 per cent of the children being underweight and is followed by Thoubal (32 per cent), Tamenglong (19 per cent) and Ukhrul (16 per cent).

Weak immune due to lack of nutritious foods, which sometimes lead to death of children, has been a major problem in the country.

Around 23 per cent of the children under the age of five years suffer from weak immune in the country.

In the state, 41 per cent of children (girls) suffer from either underweight due to lack of nutritious foods while prevalence of this condition among boys is 38 per cent.

On the other hand, 34 per cent of women in the age group of 15-49 years are overweight and 7 per cent are underweight, while 30 per cent of men in the same age group are overweight and 8 per cent are underweight in the state.

Obesity often leads to Type 2 diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke and early death.

Around 65 per cent of women and 49 per cent of men have improper Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR), which leads to metabolic complications.

WHR prevalence is 70 per cent in urban and 63 per cent in rural areas, the report stated.

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