Attention parents, the circumference of your child's waist can now predict if he or she is likely to suffer from metabolic diseases.

Now, a multi centre cross-sectional study carried out by the International Diabetes Federation hints that healthy cut off values of waist circumferences can be used as screening for Metabolic Syndrome (MS) in Indian children.

The study was conducted on 10,842 children in five cities - Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Raipur.

"MS in children has been defined as the presence of high triglyceride levels in blood, Low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), increased fasting blood glucose levels, high systolic blood pressure and waist circumference > 75th percentile," said Dr Archana Dayal Arya, Paediatric Endocrinologist of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi and co-author of the study.

Metabolic Syndrome results in increased risk for hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease.

It is shocking to see children as young as 6 yrs old with diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus and abnormalities in the lipid profile, she said.

The study found that risk factor for Indian children for developing MS was at 70th WC percentile which is significantly lower than International proposed WC cut off of 90th percentile.

It also found that 3.3 percent or 358 children out of a total sample size of 10,842 were hypertensive.

"We found that primary or essential hypertension, commonly seen in adults, is becoming common in children, who are obese or overweight. Therefore it is very essential for them to change their lifestyle and lose weight," said Dr Anuradha Khadilkar, consultant paediatrician in Jehangir Hospital, Pune and corresponding author of the study.

The study will be published in the forthcoming issue of the Journal of Paediatrics.