Lifestyle at the core: Unpacking the roots of obesity and overweight

Background: The global rise in the overweight and obesity is a major public health issue. Obesity has been doubled since 1990s. Overweight can be defined as having BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² and obesity as a BMI ≥30kg/m^2. In Kerala, NFHS data showing increasing obesity rate higher than the national average. According to the WHO, in 2022 43% of the global adult population were overweight whereas 16% were obese. The study explores the prevalence and need for the awareness and intervention to step down from obesity.

Objective: To study the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults and to assess the lifestyle factors contributing to these conditions.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity and data were collected from various sites and colleges of Pathanamthitta district. The sample size of the study was 729 and the duration of study was approximately about 6 months (November 2023- April 2024) . The participants were asked to fill out the questionnaire with their knowledge, then conducted an awareness class after 1-month similar questionnaire is provided to evaluate the progress of the research participants. Questionnaires were filled with face-to-face interviews with the willing research participant.

Results: The influence of lifestyle factors on obesity and overweight among adults were assessed and it showed physical activity levels slightly improved, especially among the overweight group. A family history of obesity was noted in 37.78% of obese individuals, indicating a possible genetic link. Counselling positively influenced lifestyle and activity habits.

Conclusion: The result of the study points out the lack of physical activity and improper dietary pattern has act as major factor to being overweight and obese. The sedentary lifestyle practices should be avoided It is important to have future developmental and managerial strategies to prevent from overweight and obesity.