Ten percent of children, or at least 155 million youngsters worldwide, are overweight or obese. The epidemic of obesity sits alongside the problem of malnutrition and infections in India thereby creating a greater burden of nutrition-related ill health among our children. . The prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in upper socioeconomic class (17.2% overweight and 4.8% obese) as compared to lower socioeconomic class (4% and above).Childhood obesity affects physical and mental health. Physical inactivity and life style are found to be the major risk factors. Creating social awareness at home and school play an important role to tackle the pandemic. Promoting physical activity through sports centers, building play grounds and emphasizing the importance of physical education may be beneficial.

Dhastagir Sultan Sheriff is a member of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Early Human Development, the Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India, and the National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He is also a resource person for UNESCO. Dr. Sheriff has authored five books including a textbook on medical biochemistry with additional interest in human sexology. About 250 publications, and edited 4 books on Human sexuality. He has published editorials in the British Journal of Sexology, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Postgraduate Medicine, and Scientist. He was a former Rotarian, Citizen Ambassador, and was selected for the Ford Foundation Fellowship.