Familial Background as a Hidden Cause for Obesity among College Going Girls

Abstract

Background: Rapid changes in global economies and industrialization have resulted in switch from traditional diets and labor intensive lifestyle to consumption of modern calorie-rich diets loaded with fat and sugar contents, accompanied with sedentary lifestyle further leading to onset of numerous non-communicable, chronic disorders; obesity being one of them. This study aims at investigating risk posed by family history of obesity over the generations for inducing extreme overweight conditions among adolescent females of Delhi. Methods: Present work is a cross-sectional study conducted in Delhi (India) with sample size of 444 females aged between 18 - 22 years. Socio-demographic aspect along with lifestyle-related profile of participants was assessed using a self-administered proforma. Prior history of obesity among family members, if any, was noted as well, and anthropometric and physiologic measurements were recorded using well established customary techniques. Analysis was carried out in SPSS 20.0. Results: Participants holding a history for obesity in family were comparatively more obese than their counterparts. Positive family history for the same has been found possessing a notably closer association with elevated levels of adiposity determined by various physical and physiological variables. Conclusion: Family history of excessive fatness develops high risk of pathological manifestation for the same in upcoming generations that needs to be administered effectively—at individual or population level, and addressed efficiently by one’s family or by the prevailing governmental provisions.