Obesity

Obesity has significant risk factor associated with the development of Diabetes, Cardio vascular disease and other non-communicable disease. In an INDO-US collaboratives study conducted among Asians Indians by Dr Anoop Misra and his team, it was recorded that the prevalence of obesity (Body Mass Index(BMI) >23 kg/m2) in urban areas was 65.41% and 31.8% in rural areas, respectively. Indians exhibit unique features of obesity – excess body fat, abdominal adiposity, increased subcutanaeous and intra-abdominal fat, and deposition of fat in ectopic sites (liver, muscle, etc.). With improvement in the economic sitution of the country, the prevalence of obesity is showing an marked upward trend in adults. The factors which escalate this problematic scenario are increasing urbanization, nutrition transition, and physical activity.