Andhra Pradesh gaining obesity capital of India tag

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh appeared to be turning obese. After gaining the name as the ‘Capital for Diabetes’, it was now marching towards getting the obesity tag.

Studies carried out by the ministry of health and family welfare suggested that there was 33 per cent increase in obesity cases in the State. In a decade up to 2015, it was observed that there was a 33 per cent increase in obesity cases. Change in the lifestyle and stress-related issues led to increase in obesity issues in the new-born State. National Family Health Survey-3 (NHFS-3), carried out in 2003, and NHFS-5 in 2010 suggested that there was a growing trend of obesity cases in Andhra Pradesh, year by year.

“A 33 per cent increase in obesity cases was shown in the NHFS-5,” said health principal secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, who added that they are trying to address the issue by working in association with the civil supplies department to some extent.

“Generally 5 kg rice would be distributed through fair price shops, under public distribution system. We want to reduce the rice quantity to 3 kg and the rest would be supplemented by wheat or brown rice which have proteins,” she said. The increasing obesity cases both in rural and urban AP was a worrying factor, the secretary said, adding that the department had identified hot spots of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) like blood pressure and obesity, and accordingly was planning to address the disorders in a systematic way.

Studies in India, Singapore , China, Malaysia and other Asian countries had shown a rising prevalence of obesity among children. The rate among children in the 7–17 age group in big cities in China was more than 20 per cent. They also reported a parallel increase of obesity with dietary fat and high energy consumption in Chinese children, which was observed in rural and urban Andhra Pradesh now.

Overweight children spent less time on moderate/vigorous physical activities. It also revealed parental obesity to be the most pronounced risk factor for childhood obesity. The etiological factors for childhood obesity included genetic, metabolic, and behavioural components. 

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that the mean intake of added sugars increased significantly from 2001–2004. However, evidences to project the positive association between sugar consumption and obesity were inconsistent. 

The rise in obesity was also been correlated well with lack of energy expenditure owing to physical inactivity, which could contribute significantly toward the increasing rate of overweight. A study among urban school children in India had supported this observation, she added.