Prevalence of normal weight obesity in young adults of Western Uttar Pradesh – A community-based study

Abstract

Background: Obesity is described as a build-up of abnormal or excessive fat that risks life. A body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool for overweight and obesity. For a long time, BMI has been used as a marker to measure obesity. However, a significant limitation of using BMI is its failure to differentiate between a high body fat content and preserved or increased lean mass, especially in patients or subjects with a BMI <30 kg/m2. Normal weight obese (NWO) is such individuals who have high fat content but a normal BMI. To identify such individuals and to save them from morbidity associated with obesity, this study was carried out. Aims and Objectives: The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of NWO in healthy young adults (aged between 18 and 30 years) and to suggest the methods of primary prevention for obesity. Materials and Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study, the 324 subjects were selected randomly from the residents, students, and employees of Swami Vivekananda Subharti University. Subjects were chosen according to the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria and also, based on the self-structure questionnaire. A general and systemic examination was carried out. The body composition of these subjects was done by bioelectric impedance analyzer BODY STAT QUAD SCAN 4000. Data were analysis using R-software (1.25 version), and unpaired t-test was applied. P < 0.05 was taken as significant in this study. Results: The prevalence of NWO in males was found to be 24.6% and females to be 13.4%. The body composition parameters of NWO and NWNO differed significantly. Conclusion: The increase rate of NWO is reason for concern and routine screening of body composition parameters should be done at health setups to identify that these NWO individuals and timely interventions can be made.