Obesity among adult population of a rural coastal area in South India

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Obesity is associated with cardiovascular diseases and has become the main public health issue in India. However, the prevalence of obesity in India varies widely. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural adults in a coastal area of South India.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The prevalence of overweight and obesity was assessed among individuals of 15 years and above living in a rural coastal area of Tamil Nadu in India.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Among 207 adult participants, 69.1% were female. About one-fourth (23.7%) of the participants were in age group of 15-24 years and 67.2% participants were literate. About one-third (30%) of the adults were overweight. Obesity was present in 14% of the study participants (26% by using the Asian cut-offs). Using waist circumference and waist-hip ratio cut-offs, abdominal obesity was observed among 55% and 57% of the participants. Among females the central obesity was more common than males. <strong></strong></p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The prevalence of obesity in rural areas was high. There is need to implement community based programs to tackle the increasing obesity.