India has the highest number of moderately and severely underweight children and adolescents in the world, according to a study which also found that the number of obese under-19s globally has risen tenfold in the past four decades. The study published in The Lancet journal found that 97 million of the world's moderately or severely underweight children and adolescents lived in India in 2016.
The study led by Imperial College London in the UK and the World Health Organization (WHO) found that in India 24.4 per cent of girls and 39.3 per cent of boys were moderately or severely underweight in 1975 compared to 22.7 per cent and 30.7 per cent underweight in 2016. The researchers noted that an estimated 192 million - 75 million girls and 117 million boys - were moderately or severely underweight worldwide in 2016.

India has the highest number of moderately and severely underweight children and adolescents in the world, according to a study which also found that the number of obese under-19s globally has risen tenfold in the past four decades. The study published in The Lancet journal found that 97 million of the world's moderately or severely underweight children and adolescents lived in India in 2016.
The study led by Imperial College London in the UK and the World Health Organization (WHO) found that in India 24.4 per cent of girls and 39.3 per cent of boys were moderately or severely underweight in 1975 compared to 22.7 per cent and 30.7 per cent underweight in 2016. The researchers noted that an estimated 192 million - 75 million girls and 117 million boys - were moderately or severely underweight worldwide in 2016.