Study to determine prevalence of obesity and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults

The global prevalence of obesity has shown an increasing tendency in recent times particularly in young adults. Obesity is a key risk factor in the natural history of many chronic diseases and has a detrimental impact on the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular disease.

The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of obesity and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults.

A cross sectional study was done in 60 healthy young adults in the age group of 18 to 25 years. The subjects were screened for obesity by measuring their Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference, as defined by WHO screening guidelines. They were also evaluated for cardiometabolic risk factors [Blood Pressure, FBS and Lipid Profile]. Independent distribution and association of indices of obesity across each risk factor was analyzed statistically.

The results obtained showed that based on BMI, 35% of them were overweight and 16.6% were obese and based on waist circumference 50% were obese. There was significant increase in blood pressure and serum cholesterol and decrease in HDL cholesterol values in overweight and obese individuals particularly among males. The study recommends the potential role of screening obesity at an early age to take measures to delay the progress of cardiometabolic disorders and prevent its complications in later life.