Across India, classrooms and campuses are revealing a troubling reality. Obesity, and such health risks—once associated mainly with adulthood—are now appearing with alarming frequency among children and young adults. Over the past decade, the Apollo Shine Foundation screened more than one lakh college students. It revealed that six in 10 had an abnormal BMI (body mass index), and three in 10 were already obese. Even at an age when health and vitality should be their greatest strength, some were found with high blood sugar and early signs of chronic disease.
The deeper screening conducted in 2025, involving over 10,000 students, reinforced these concerns. Nearly one-third of the participants were found to have an abnormally large waist circumference. One in 10 had elevated HbA1c levels, indicating pre-diabetes, and a small but significant number had already developed diabetes. Even more alarming was the widespread trend of abnormal lipid profiles, including high triglycerides—signalling the early onset of metabolic syndrome, a condition rarely expected in this age group.
Strangely, anaemia was also prevalent among obese students, pointing to a complex nutritional imbalance. These are not the health markers of middle age, yet they are increasingly showing up in our youngest and supposedly healthiest population. We must recognise that the patterns, now emerging in classrooms and campuses, will inevitably echo into our workplaces, families, and communities.
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The consequences of this trend reach far beyond individual wellbeing. Obesity in young people is not merely a matter of excess weight. It significantly increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and even cancer—setting the stage for illnesses that can emerge decades earlier than expected. A young adult, who begins work life with these risks, carries the possibility of reduced productivity, early disability, and escalating health care costs that affect not only the individual but society as a whole.
A silent crisis is unfolding—driven by the lives we are shaping for our young. Quick service food and highly processed snacks are marketed as convenient choices, making their way into daily diets. The focus, often, falls on sugar, but excess salt, especially in eatables like chips, also contributes significantly to childhood obesity. Hours spent in front of screens are replacing outdoor activities, while academic and social pressures are eating into essential rest and sleep. Stress and obesity are closely linked. Together, these patterns form habits that quietly, but steadily, erode long-term health. The danger lies in the invisibility of these risks—often going unnoticed until a medical test or screening reveals the damage.
Preventive action is no longer optional. Schools and colleges must integrate health into education by promoting nutritious food, restricting unhealthy options, and ensuring regular physical activity. Families should nurture home-cooked food, shared routines, and active play, while cities must provide safe spaces for children to walk, cycle and exercise. Health care systems must act with equal urgency, making school screenings as routine as exams, enabling early counselling and timely interventions. Awareness must inspire young people to see healthy living as aspirational, not restrictive. Through the Apollo Shine Foundation, we have seen how knowledge and guidance can transform behaviour, with students reporting healthier habits, sharper focus and better performance.
Above all, these efforts point to a simple truth, which is that India’s true progress depends on giving every child the gift of good health. Only then will they have the strength to learn, thrive and lead.
Dr Preetha Reddy is Executive Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited.