"The first five years in a person's life is extremely important. We are asking the parents of children who eat large quantities of saturated food, chips and chocolates to quickly change their staple diet to dairy products and fruits. This will help to keep their blood pressure levels under control," said Chandan Ray, paediatrician at Bhagirathi Neotia Women and Child Care Centre.

Doctors have now started a campaign called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which emphasises on the consumption of flavoured milk and yoghurt in place of hot chocolate and aerated drinks.

"To further reduce chances of a child developing complications later, we are stressing on keeping tabs on a baby's health right from the pre-natal stage. A heavier baby has a much better chance of a disease-free life at an older age," Ray added.

Cardiologists, too, have sounded the alarm bell.

"I have been coming across a number of heart patients in their early 30s. In most cases, poor nutrition was responsible for their blood pressure levels soaring. Very recently, two of my patients had heart failures in their mid-20s. This is a worrying trend in Calcutta," said Shuvo Dutta, director of interventional cardiology at BM Birla Heart Research Centre.

"Parents seem to be more inclined to give their children food laden with fat, like chocolate drinks, ice creams and dishes with saturated fat. They are damaging the health of their children in the process," he added.

Youngsters with high blood pressure would be more prone to diseases of the heart, kidney and eyes (retina), warned cardiologist Ashok Kar. "Eating green vegetables, salads, curd and fish is the best way to keep blood pressure down and prevent complications at an older age," he advised.