Study of obesity among adolescents in rural Wardha district

Introduction

Obesity and overweight are major contributing factors for many chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In many developing nations, including India, adolescent obesity has become an important public health problem.¹ Obesity, particularly childhood obesity, is a critical global health concern, and various health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have addressed it as a significant public health problem.² Significant changes in physical, cognitive, and psychological factors characterize adolescence an essential and dynamic period for human development. This stage, typically occurring between the ages of 10-19 years, is an essential period for adolescent body growth and development. The early appearance of disease in approximately 35 per cent of the worldwide disease burden occurs during adolescence.³ Fast-food consumption is a global phenomenon. The fast-food sector in India is growing at an average of 40% annually. Fast food consumption in India ranks 10th in the world, with each person spending 2.1% of the country’s annual total expenditures on it.⁴ The persistence of overweight and obesity after adolescence is a major public health concern, with far-reaching consequences associated with health risks.⁵ Early childhood obesity is important because it increases the risk of obesity in adulthood and frequently results in higher morbidity and mortality in early adulthood.⁶ According to a World Health Organization (WHO) study, there are 300 million obese people and 1 billion overweight people worldwide. Overweight and obesity are pandemics worldwide, the third-most obese nation in the world in India.⁷ Obesity is defined as the excessive development of adipose tissue caused by an increase in the number of fat cells, their size, or a combination of both.⁸ Socioeconomic and psychological factors can also contribute to childhood obesity. The main cause of adolescent obesity is the consumption of high-calorie foods, combined with the absence of physical activity. The psychological factors that can lead to adolescent obesity include social isolation, anxiety, and familial stress. Children also frequently consume too much food to cope with their emotions and problems.⁹ The development and persistence of obesity in adolescents may be due to a significant effect of lifelong factors, such as food patterns and sedentary activities. Children and adolescents usually eat less fruit and vegetables and more fast food and carbonated drinks than adolescents, which have outdoor games and social activities. This has been caused by a higher risk of obesity in adulthood. Consumption of a large number of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a reduced risk of obesity.¹⁰

Methods

Discussion

The following studies conducted on this subject by recognized researchers were cited in this study. George et al. (2012) conducted a cross-sectional study at the Nehru Memorial Public School in a rural Kollam area in Kerala State. Body mass index (BMI), weight, and height were also measured. Overweight was observed in 15% of girls and 19% of boys. The Obesity prevalence was 8% in females and 6% in boys. In boys, underweight was more common (3%), in girls, it is 10%). Furthermore, compared to females, boys were more likely to be overweight, while girls were more likely to be obese.¹²

Sitaula et al. (2022) conducted institution-based cross-sectional research; 267 adolescents were found to be 14.6% obese and 14.6% overweight. 12.6% Of male children in the study were overweight, compared with 39.6% of the female participants who were in this category of obesity. 16.5% of the participants overall—14.0% of the girls and 20.4% of the males—were underweight. Adolescent girls are almost five times more likely to be overweight than are male adolescents.¹³

Seema et al. (2018-19), a cross-sectional study, was used in observational research. 6.8% of adolescents were found to be fat and 17.1% to be overweight. 22.3 per participants have been identified as underweight, and the remaining 53.8% were in the normal BMI group. A strong correlation was found between gender, financial position, eating habits, chocolate consumption, when adolescents arrive at school, participation in sports, physical exercise, and screen time. Teens who enjoyed sports and engaged in physical exercise had healthy body mass indices. These were only a few factors contributing to the high rate of obesity among adolescents, were also at greater risk of being fat.6.8% of adolescents were found to be fat, and 17.1% were overweight.¹⁴

Pathak et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional study at private schools in Vadodara, Gujarat, in both urban and rural areas. According to this frequency, these children were underweighted, overweight, obese, and normal. The odds ratio was 17.7 in Favour of urban living, with 65.22% of urban males and 62.26% of urban females being obese or overweight compared to 15.78% of rural men and 3.92% of females. There were statistically significant changes in family yearly income, the more in-person training sessions conducted in a school, and more frequent in restaurant and school canteen meals. There was no statistically significant correlation observed between the two groups and other characteristics, such as eating breakfast before school, enjoying fast food, participating in outside activities, using electronics during meals, and having fat family members.¹⁵

Shete et al. (2017–18) conducted a cross-sectional study with study participants ranging in age from 11 to 16 years at the Chhatrapati Shahu Vidyalaya in New Palace, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Among those involved, boys made up 58.9%. The 13–14 age group comprised 66.7% of the student group. 8.7% of adolescents were obese and 46.9% were underweight according to the body mass index. Junk food was consumed more than once per week by 77.3% of individuals.⁷