1Assistant Professor, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Medical College & Hindu Rao Hospital, Delhi
2Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Saraswati Institute of Medical Sciences, Hapur
3Professor & HOD, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, S.N. Medical College, Agra
4Professor & HOD, Department of Community Medicine, Saraswati Institute of Medical Sciences, Hapur
5Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences & Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida
Overweight and obesity now ranks as the fifth leading global risk for mortality. In addition, 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.
To measure prevalence of obesity and to get an idea of related perceptions among college girls of Agra
Cross sectional study
Degree colleges of Agra
January to June 2009
400 college going girls of 18–24 years
Height, Weight, Semi-structured and semi-open ended performa
Percentage, mean, standard deviation, logistic regression analysis
The prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be 18.5% & 4.5% respectively according to Body mass index. Logistic regression model revealed that the odds ratio for weight, height, age, religion and mothers education of the subjects were statistically significant in prediction of prevalence of obesity. Majority (65.7%) of the respondents perceived overweight as body weight being more than normal [comparatively more (72.2%) obese subjects opined] whereas 14.0 and 13.8 percent viewed it as body weight disproportionate to height & age and as extra fat over body respectively. Majority (67.7%) of the respondents perceived obesity as extra fat deposition over abdomen and thighs. Overwhelming majority (96.0%) of the subjects attributed diet responsible for obesity. Almost all the subjects (95.7%) believed high fat foods responsible as obesigenic whereas more than half of the subjects (56.7%) blamed fast food items such as burger, noodles & pizza along with chocolates.
It is generally accepted that comprehensive and coordinated interventions which support and facilitate physical activity and healthy diets in the context of a social-determinants-of-health approach represent the best way forward for obesity prevention.
Body Mass Index, Perception, Overweight, Obesity, Obesigenic Food
