Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has said it is necessary to guide children on good lifestyle habits so that they don’t suffer from obesity and related diseases.

His comments came on Friday (Jan 4) while interacting with the media at the launch of Child Obesity Team (COST) website along with Maharashtra's Water Resources & Irrigation, Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan and Dr Sanjay Borude, bariatric (obesity) surgeon in Mumbai, reports IANS.

Speaking about malnutrition and obesity, Khan said, "On one side we are dealing with malnutrition and on the other we are fighting obesity. Our government is trying to deal with it...I was also a brand ambassador of UNICEF. So, I feel we have to work towards eradicating both malnutrition and obesity."

He said it is essential to teach children to adopt good lifestyle habits.

"I am really happy that Dr Sanjay Borude has started this initiative where through this website, obese children and their parents can get support and guidance," he said

Emphasizing on nutrition to keep children fit and healthy, he said, "I got to know about the importance of nutrition when I met Dr Vinod Dhurandhar while training for 'Ghajini'. He told me we are what we eat, and the more you eat healthy, fresh and balanced meal, the more you will feel healthy and fit. I always tell these things to my children but they don't listen to me.

"What Dr Sanjay Borude is doing is a fantastic thing as it will help a lot of families who are fighting against obesity. I am happy that government of Maharashtra is also supporting the initiative."

Many bollywood celebrities endorse various kinds of processed food through advertisement.

When asked if he would like to urge his colleagues not to endorse such products, Khan said, "No, that shouldn't happen. We shouldn't take extreme step because there are a lot of people who are not obese who can eat different kinds of food.

We should have information about obesity because if we are aware, we can take precautions to deal with it," he said.