Previously safe from the rising trend of obesity, rural India is now showing an alarming increase in the number of cases of this chronic disease.
A dipstick study of rural Delhi, conducted by Safdarjung Hospital to find out the prevalence of obesity in rural women in the Capital, found that 75.3% of the 343 participants were obese.
Weight gain
The study noted that 75% of the participants reported weight gain after marriage, out of which 53.1% said they gained more than 10 kg; 74% cited pregnancy as the reason for the gain.
Out of the participants who ever became pregnant, 65.3% said they gained weight during pregnancy; 59.8% said there was no weight loss after lactation.
The study was conducted by Suruchi Mishra, a postgraduate student under her faculty supervisor Professor Anita Khokhar, Department of Community Medicine, V.M.M.C and Safdarjung hospital.
“Over 67% of Indians reside in rural areas where a gradual change in lifestyle has been observed. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among women in the age group of 30-84 years, the mean age was 46.3 years,” said Prof. Khokhar.
The study found that there is rampant prevalence of obesity in rural women and is associated with multiple factors and health issues.
It was found that 70.9% of participants consumed all meals in equal quantity, 94.4% did not have a habit of eating in-between meals, 89.9% did not have a habit of snacking while watching TV. Chowmein and samosa were most frequently consumed outside the home.
Tobacco use
It was also found that 18.6% of participants used tobacco; chewing tobacco and smoking bidi being the most common. Only 2% consumed alcohol.
“The diet of 42.9% of the study participants was vegetarian whereas 57.1% consumed mixed diet. Non-vegetarian diet was consumed 1-2 times in a week by 47%, buffalo or full cream milk by 89.7%; 91.1% consumed sweets rarely/never; 94.3% consumed vegetables and fruits every day; 77.7% rarely or never consumed items made of refined flour and 96.9% consumed 2-3 teaspoon of sugar a day,” noted the study.
“The overweight/obese participants were counselled about proper diet, physical activity. Those who required specialist care for co-morbidities were referred either to VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital or to Primary Health Centre, Fatehpur Beri,” said Prof. Anita Khokhar.
