Abstract

Background: Obesity of late has become a challenge for public health planners both in developing as well as the developed nations. Obesity has assumed pandemic proportions worldwide. Objectives: (1) To determine the prevalence of obesity in urban adults aged 30 years and above. (2) To find the common comorbid conditions associated with obesity. Material and Methods: Using systematic random sampling, the current cross-sectional study was conducted among urban adults ≥ 30 years of age using a pre-designed, pre-tested, and pre-structured questionnaire. Information regarding sociodemographic profile and current health status were recorded. Anthropometric data regarding height and weight were also taken. The data thus collected were analysed, and Chi-square was used as the test of significance.
Results: Overall prevalence of obesity and overweight in both sexes was 26.43% and 43.69%, respectively. Hypertension was the most common comorbid condition. Among the various risk factors, age, sex, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The trends show a high prevalence of both obesity as well as overweight which is a cause of concern. Therefore, the need for early detection to prevent obesity-associated complications is of prime concern. Despite emergence of new tools, BMI remains safe and effective tool not only to calculate but also to detect pre-obesity at an incipient stage.