India's health minister says the number of obese teenagers in the country has nearly doubled in the past five years as economic growth fuels lifestyle changes, including a fondness for fast food.
Health experts said on Wednesday that changing diets were to blame, along with an increase in sedentary activities such as driving cars, watching TV and using computers.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda cited the government's national family health survey as showing 29 per cent of Indian teens were obese, compared with 16 per cent five years ago.
He said the rise in obesity among 13- to 18-year-olds was alarming.
Rising incomes have allowed India's middle class to grow quickly, while fuelling the proliferation of Western-style fast-food chains in cities and suburbs.
