title: A cross-sectional analysis of obesity among a rural population in coastal Southern Karnataka, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a disease condition that is highly prevalent in both developed and developing countries. Obesity accounts for 60% of cases of diabetes, 40% cases of hypertension and 20% of coronary heart disease and stroke. Although obesity is a silent killer in the third world countries, there is less focus on the problem, as the nations are still staggering with problems due to infectious and parasitic diseases. So, the current study was undertaken to highlight the problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional community based survey, among individuals of either sex, aged 30 years and above was carried out on 1,239 respondents, using a two-stage stratified, random sampling technique. Data was collected by personal face to face interview using a pre-designed questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overweight category included 21.4% of the subjects. Obesity as per Body Mass Index (BMI) criteria was seen in 6.6% of the individuals but abdominal and truncal obesity was present among 51.7% and 62.1% respectively. Literacy up to secondary education and graduation were identified by the multivariate analysis to be associated with obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of central obesity was found to be high, and hence, lifestyle changes and improved physical activity needs promotion among the general population.
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.
authors: Chythra R
authors: CR
authors: Rao
authors: Veena G
authors: VG
authors: Kamath
authors: Avinash
authors: A
authors: Shetty
authors: Asha
authors: A
authors: Kamath
keywords: Prevalence; body mass index; obesity; waist circumference; waist-hip ratio
references: CMAJ. 2006 Oct 24;175(9):1071-7
references: 17060656
references: Med J Malaysia. 2004 Oct;59(4):460-7
references: 15779578
references: World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 1995;854:1-452
references: 8594834
references: BMJ. 1995 Jul 15;311(6998):158-61
references: 7613427
references: World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2000;894:i-xii, 1-253
references: 11234459
references: Asia Pac Fam Med. 2009 Apr 09;8(1):2
references: 19358728
references: J Assoc Physicians India. 1994 Mar;42(3):212-5
references: 7860511
references: Diabetologia. 2004 May;47(5):860-5
references: 15114469
references: Lancet. 2005 Nov 12;366(9498):1744-9
references: 16291069
references: Indian J Med Res. 2006 May;123(5):657-64
references: 16873908
references: Diabetes Metab. 2004 Apr;30(2):153-9
references: 15223987
references: Indian J Med Res. 2006 May;123(5):593-6
references: 16873902
references: Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2006 Apr-Jun;4(2):192-7
references: 18603897
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Jan;16(1):168-71
references: 18223630