A Prevalence Study Based on Relationship of Obesity Indices with Different Anthropometric Parametrs in Two Communities

Abstract

Overweight refers to an excess body weight compared to set standards. Obesity specially refers to having an abnormally high proportion of total body fat. Most health providers agree that men with more than 25% total body fat and women with more than 30% total body fat should be considered obese [1]. A more important aspect of obesity is the regional distribution of excess body fat. Our research is a prevalence study to find out the distribution of obese and overweight girls from two different communities distributing them according to different anthropometric parameters. The 1001 girls residing in different hostels from different colleges were selected for the study. Two groups were made and the total girls were categorized into Gujarati and Non Gujarati groups respectively. They were further classified according to categories like waist circumference, hip circumference, waist hip ratio, obesity indices, body fat percent, total body fat, lean body mass, skinfold thickness, family history and blood pressure. Fourteen percent were overweight and eleven percent girls were obese according to waist circumference. Seventy one percent had hip circumference of more than 36 inches; waist hip ratio of more than 0.85 was observed in 47% girls; Twenty four percent had high waist circumference, waist hip ratio and BMI>25 kg/m2; Eighty percent had body fat percent < 33%, 27% had total body fat > 20 kg; Fifty six percent had lean body mass > 42 kg and sixty nine percent had skinfold thickness > 50 mm. Seventy eight percent girls were without any family history of disease and 53%/46% had high normal systolic and diastolic blood pressure.