Urban adult overweight and obesity prevalence in North Dum Dum, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Obesity impacts most of the population, and many countries are predicted to raise the prevalence of adults affected by obesity (OB)  and related disorders during the recent decades. OB is uninterruptedly increasing at a shocking proportion throughout the globe and scattering as an epidemic threatening world health. It is currently projected that more than 250 million population worldwide are obese, comparable to 7% of the adult population. By 2030, it is projected that 1 out of 7 men and 1 out of 5 women will be alive with an obesity problem, equating to more than one billion population worldwide. Overweight and obesity is the most common malnutritional condition in industrialized and developing countries. However, data on OB prevalence among diverse Indian ethnic groups is limited. The present study has been initiated to understand the OB problems among the urban adult population of the North Dum Dum area, West Bengal, India. The present study also intended to compare the proportion of overweight and OB among urban adult men and women in comparison to other Indian studies and other regions of the world. Results exposed that the occurrence of OB (Body Mass Index ³ 30.00) is moderately high (men=11.89% and women=17.45%), but the incidence of overweight (Body Mass Index 25.00-29.99) is very high (men=30.88%, women=37.24%) among the Bengalee population. The present research concluded that OB is a rising burden in India. It is more common among women than men.