A report on body composition and fitness profile of young men of Toto community: An endangered tribe of India

Abstract

Abstract Background and aim Toto is an endangered tribe comprising of miniscule population of the Madarihat Block in Northern West Bengal. The male members of this community who undergo hardships to sustain their families, are suffering from ill health and poor economic conditions. As studies regarding their fitness profile are unavailable, this study is the first ever attempt to investigate their fitness status and prevalence of malnutrition by morphometrics. Methods The study was conducted in young Toto men (mean age 23.7 years). Measurements of body composition included several anthropometric variables; while physical efficiency parameters were physical fitness index (PFI), VO2max, energy expenditure and anaerobic power. Results Analysis of data highlighted that 50% of the Toto men are mild underweight with lower fat mass, waist-to-hip ratio and conicity index. However, they were found to have excellent physical fitness [83.1 (±4.44)%] which is positively correlated with their family income (R2 = 0.550) and level of education (R2 = 0.508). Conclusion This study reports that most of the Toto men are underweight may be due to their poor nutritional status but the fitness level is not yet affected may be due to the acquired physical strength by their continuous hardships.