Obesity is a disease process in which there is excess fat accumulation in the body leading to adverse effects on health. Obesity is a disease of modern times that is increasing in prevalence worldwide. It is disease process which results from complex interplay between the genetic factors and the environmental influences, and is largely due to changing dietary habits with shift towards refined, high calorie food, increasing mechanization resulting in lack of physical activity, and sedentary lifestyles.
Overweight or Obesity is on the rise worldwide among both sexes and all ages, across all races, ethnic groups and education levels. Accordingly, both the World Health Organization and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of National Institute of Health(NIH),USA, have classified Obesity as an EPIDEMIC. The prevalence of obesity is on the rise in our country too, particularly in the urban population. Overweight and obesity affect almost 1/3rd of Indian people living in cities, a rising number of them being children. Studies in India have shown that almost half the men and one third of women from industrial & urban populations suffer from overweight or obesity (BMI more than 25). Central or android obesity was also found to be prevalent in large percentage of Indian population and an increased waist-hip ratio (>0.85 for males and >0.95 for females) has been noted in every third adult individual in urban population.
