A study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has put the spotlight on a growing health crisis in Delhi’s schoolchildren and it’s not just about weight. Backed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), this study tracked the health of nearly 4,000 students aged 6 to 19 from both public and private schools. The findings have stirred up serious concern: obesity among private school students is over five times higher than that in public schools.
Behind the scenes, researchers also measured key health markers, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and waist circumference. The aim wasn’t just to gather numbers, but to understand what’s silently unfolding inside the growing bodies of children in India’s capital. And the truth is heavier than it looks.
Obesity is five times higher in private schools; But it’s not just about junk food
It’s easy to assume that higher obesity in private schools comes solely from eating fast food. But the reality is more layered.
Private school students have greater access to calorie-dense food, but they also experience reduced physical activity, longer screen times, and packed schedules with less outdoor play. These factors, together, create an unhealthy routine masked by academic ambition and urban privilege.
On the flip side, public school students, though less prone to obesity, face the opposite problem: higher rates of being underweight. This contrast shows how different ends of the nutritional spectrum coexist, often without drawing enough attention.
Why obesity in children is more dangerous than it appears
Obesity during childhood isn’t just about appearance or weight gain, it’s a doorway to lifelong health problems. The AIIMS study found that many private school students are already showing signs of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and increased risk of heart disease.
What’s striking is that these are problems more commonly seen in adults, yet they’re now being found in children barely in their teens. Once the body gets used to functioning in this compromised state, reversing the damage becomes increasingly difficult with age.
Sometimes, good health is wrongly judged by external appearance. A chubby child in a neat uniform may appear well-fed, but blood markers can tell a different story. The AIIMS researchers found that impaired fasting glucose (an early warning for diabetes) was 2.37 times more common in private school students. In simple words, their blood sugar levels were not where they should be, even without eating anything for hours.
This reveals how hidden health issues can silently grow, especially when regular health screenings are not part of school routines.
Why boys may be more at risk
Another revealing detail from the study is that boys in both public and private schools were found to have a higher prevalence of obesity than girls. This isn’t just a biological difference — it reflects how gender roles and lifestyle choices play out in everyday life.
Boys often indulge more in screen time, competitive gaming, or sedentary hobbies, while girls might engage more in household activities or light physical tasks. This small lifestyle gap can grow into significant health differences over time.
Video
Public school students aren’t safe either
While obesity gets more attention, underweight issues in public schools shouldn't be overlooked. The same study found that being underweight was nearly five times higher in public school students. Poor nutrition, irregular meals, and economic challenges silently push these children towards a different health risk: vulnerability to infections, delayed growth, and fatigue.
Even more concerning, some underweight children were found to have high blood pressure and early signs of metabolic syndrome. This breaks the myth that only overweight children are prone to lifestyle diseases.
Behind the scenes, researchers also measured key health markers, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and waist circumference. The aim wasn’t just to gather numbers, but to understand what’s silently unfolding inside the growing bodies of children in India’s capital. And the truth is heavier than it looks.
Obesity is five times higher in private schools; But it’s not just about junk food
It’s easy to assume that higher obesity in private schools comes solely from eating fast food. But the reality is more layered.
Private school students have greater access to calorie-dense food, but they also experience reduced physical activity, longer screen times, and packed schedules with less outdoor play. These factors, together, create an unhealthy routine masked by academic ambition and urban privilege.
On the flip side, public school students, though less prone to obesity, face the opposite problem: higher rates of being underweight. This contrast shows how different ends of the nutritional spectrum coexist, often without drawing enough attention.
Why obesity in children is more dangerous than it appears
Obesity during childhood isn’t just about appearance or weight gain, it’s a doorway to lifelong health problems. The AIIMS study found that many private school students are already showing signs of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and increased risk of heart disease.
What’s striking is that these are problems more commonly seen in adults, yet they’re now being found in children barely in their teens. Once the body gets used to functioning in this compromised state, reversing the damage becomes increasingly difficult with age.
Sometimes, good health is wrongly judged by external appearance. A chubby child in a neat uniform may appear well-fed, but blood markers can tell a different story. The AIIMS researchers found that impaired fasting glucose (an early warning for diabetes) was 2.37 times more common in private school students. In simple words, their blood sugar levels were not where they should be, even without eating anything for hours.
This reveals how hidden health issues can silently grow, especially when regular health screenings are not part of school routines.
Why boys may be more at risk
Another revealing detail from the study is that boys in both public and private schools were found to have a higher prevalence of obesity than girls. This isn’t just a biological difference — it reflects how gender roles and lifestyle choices play out in everyday life.
Boys often indulge more in screen time, competitive gaming, or sedentary hobbies, while girls might engage more in household activities or light physical tasks. This small lifestyle gap can grow into significant health differences over time.
Video
Public school students aren’t safe either
While obesity gets more attention, underweight issues in public schools shouldn't be overlooked. The same study found that being underweight was nearly five times higher in public school students. Poor nutrition, irregular meals, and economic challenges silently push these children towards a different health risk: vulnerability to infections, delayed growth, and fatigue.
Even more concerning, some underweight children were found to have high blood pressure and early signs of metabolic syndrome. This breaks the myth that only overweight children are prone to lifestyle diseases.
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