There is a rising prevalence of obesity in children in Karnataka owing to changes in nutritional habits, said Indumati Kamshetty, deputy director (RBSK, RKSK, NPPCd), government of Karnataka.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘adolescent health and immunisation’, organised by the University of Mysore and UNICEF, she noted that in contradiction to the earlier trends where malnutrition was commonly seen among students in government schools, obesity was being widely reported off late.
Ms. Kamshetty also threw light on the changing patterns in the factors contributing to teenage pregnancy.
“If earlier child marriage was one of the biggest reasons behind teenage pregnancy, elopement is the new challenge. Social media and the influence of online content on youngsters play a major role in this,” she said.
Gender disparity in anaemic cases
On a positive note, Ms. Kamshetty highlighted the reduction in anaemia cases among adolescents in the State. However, she pointed out the huge gender disparity in nutritional access that made girls more vulnerable to anaemia than boys.
As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), approximately 58.4% of girls aged 15 to 19 in the State are anaemic, while the number was only 31.1% in boys of the same age group.
Speaking about the regional variations in child marriage trends, substance misuse, and so on, Ms. Kamshetty also spoke about the importance of customised policies and schemes.
Administration of HPV vaccine to adolescents critical
Sridhar Prahlad Ryavanki, UNICEF Health Specialist, who spoke at the event, stressed the importance of raising awareness on cervical cancer. Speaking about risk factors for cervical cancer, he listed out early age (below 18) of sexual activity, multiple sexual partners, having a full pregnancy before the age of 17, having three or more full-term pregnancies, smoking, and prolonged use of contraceptives as some of the reasons.
Given cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in India, Mr. Ryavanki underlined the importance of administering the HPV vaccine to adolescents between 9 and 14 years as a preventive measure.
It is also crucial for women over 30 years to get screened for pre-cancer, upon identification of which, preventive measures would still be effective, he said.
Sapna M.S. of the Univeristy of Mysore also spoke at the event.
Published – November 11, 2025 09:03 pm IST
