| There is a growing concern in
India over obesity that is fast becoming a household name and phenomenon. It results from
over-consumption of food rich in fats and changing lifestyle. As the Indian economy is
growing, India’s middle class is accumulating fat around the middle at an alarming
rate. Indians are wolfing down high-calorie and fat-rich kachauris, samosas, burgers,
pizzas, ice creams and sugar-laden aerated drinks at a pace faster than ever before. Their
sedentary lifestyle also contributes significantly to weight gain. |
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Globally,
more than one billion adults are overweight and of these, 300 million are obese.1 Clinically, obesity is defined in terms of body mass index (BMI)
as the ratio between weight (in kilogrammes (kg) and height (in metres). According to the
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, an individual is overweight if
his/her BMI is at least 25 kg per square metre (kg/m 2 ) and obese if it is at least 30
kg/m 2 (see Box: Redefining obesity). 2
Obesity tends to persist when it appears at certain
crucial
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