A recent study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has shown a major difference in health between students from private and public schools in Delhi. The researchers found that obesity is over five times more common in students who attend private schools compared to those studying in public schools.

The study involved 3,888 school children aged 6 to 19. Out of these, 1,985 were from government-run schools and 1,903 were from private institutions. The project was supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and carried out by experts from departments of endocrinology, cardiac biochemistry, and biostatistics at AIIMS.

To understand the children’s health, the researchers measured several key indicators like blood pressure, waist size, cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and fasting blood sugar. The team also visited schools and met principals to explain what the study aimed to achieve and how it could help in improving student health.

According to the study, underweight was much more common among public school students, while obesity was mostly seen in private school students. “The findings showed that the prevalence of being underweight was nearly five times higher in public school students compared to private school students. At the same time, obesity was more than five times higher in private schools compared to public school students,” the report said.

The data also showed that boys were more likely to be obese than girls in both public and private schools.

The researchers said that there's not enough data in India on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected obesity in children. There is even less data on how many children are underweight. The study highlights the need to better understand both these issues.

They also pointed out that even before the pandemic, there were large differences in obesity and overweight rates among children in different regions of India. For example, overweight rates ranged from 2.28% to 21.90%, while obesity rates ranged from 2.40% to 17.60%.

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