MEET a 18-month old baby who weighs around 53lbs, the weight of an average seven year old. She weighs four times that of an average toddler of her age. Aliya Saleem weighed 4 kg (9lbs) when she was born but after three months she started gaining the weight excessively. Dr. Bhavya Kumar, a consultant pediatrician in Ranchi hospital says, “Aliya has a voracious appetite and tends to eat a lot. She is suffering from the severe morbid obesity and current appetite of the toddler is more than that of an adult.” Doctor Kumar says that it could be a genetic disorder as there has been a history of sibling loss as well with the similar problem of excessive weight gain.
