Prayagraj women: AU study finds 59% obese, 11% overweight in city
A study by researchers at Allahabad University found that 59% of women in Sangam city are obese, with poor eating habits being the main cause. The prevalence of obesity has become a major global health threat, particularly in emerging nations such as India, which is undergoing nutritional transformations due to changes in food and lifestyle. The study calls for effective public health efforts such as food literacy courses to promote healthy eating habits among women.
A majority of women (59%) residing in Sangam city were found to be obese while 11.1% of women were overweight (as per Asian cutoffs specified by World Health Organisation) in a study undertaken by researchers of Allahabad University (AU).
Only 22.1% of participants had normal weight while 7.2% were underweight.
“In general, the study found Prayagraj’s women have bad food habits. They are susceptible to chronic degenerative diseases because of their frequent consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor meals and sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as the absence of a range of nutritious items in their daily diets,” Prof Neelam Yadav of the Centre of Food Technology, Institute of Professional Studies of AU said.
The study conducted on 570 women aged 20 to 49 years, has revealed that the main cause of obesity is poor eating habits, say researchers.
This study report by Prof Yadav and research scholar Zoomi Singh of the Centre of Food Technology, Institute of Professional Studies of AU, has been published in the journal ‘Biochemical and Cellular Archives’.
“This study examined obesity prevalence among Prayagraj adult women and determined the relationship between women’s weight status and their eating habits and behaviours. The specific goals were to analyse the effects of participant demographic variables on BMI (body mass index) and the effects of participant dietary habits, eating behaviours, and practices on BMI. The anthropometric evaluation of selected respondents included measurements of their height, weight, and body mass index,” said Prof Yadav.
Utilising detailed questionnaires, the meal frequency questionnaire approach was used to examine the eating/ nutritional habits of the participants, she added.
The findings revealed a high prevalence of overweight (11.1%), obesity grade-1 (36.1%) and obesity grade-2 (23.5%) among the participants.
In view of the rising obesity and food-related disorders, it is necessary for women to consume a healthier diet. To promote healthy eating habits among women, effective public health efforts such as food literacy courses are needed, she added.
Scientists believe the study findings to be important despite the small sample size as obesity is recognised as a serious public health problem in affluent nations and is also becoming more prevalent in emerging nations undergoing nutritional transformations like India because of changes in food and lifestyle.
The prevalence of obesity has increased over the last few decades and has become a major global health threat. In India the proportion of overweight or obese women aged 15-49 years increased from 20.6% in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 of 2015-16 to 24% in the NFHS-5 of 2019-21.
The present results can be corroborated with national level survey (National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau-NNMB) of ICMR and NFHS-5 which shows obesity prevalence as 59% (based on Asian obesity cut off) and 25.5 % (based on WHO cut off).
Photo: Prof Neelam Yadav (File Photo)
