Obesity is increasingly being recognised as one of the biggest public health challenges as the prevalence among adult women is exceeding 30%.

Bengaluru: Women in cities are more prone to obesity. As per 2015-16 statistics, 23.3% of women in both urban and rural areas of Bengaluru are are suffering from obesity. Comparatively, 33.5% of women in Delhi and 23.4% in Maharashtra are obese.

Women in cities are more prone to obesity because of limited resources for physical activity, healthy food choices, work commitments, family demands and so on. Obesity is increasingly being recognised as one of the biggest public health challenges as the prevalence among adult women is exceeding 30%.

It is a risk factor for numerous health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and arthritis.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), the number of women who are overweight or obese in Karnataka has increased from 15.3% in 2005-06 to 23.3% in 2015-16.

Overweight and obesity are both an epidemic in Bengaluru. Obesity in women progressively starts after her thirties. Other than eating lots of food it can also be caused due to hormonal imbalance, like hypothyroidism. Physical inactivity is a primary risk factor for obesity that varies substantially among women, especially in urban areas. Obesity is also caused due to stress, overeating, genetics, frequency of eating, unhealthy diet and many more.

Dr Nanda Rajneesh, Breast and Obesity Surgeon, Sakra World Hospital, said, “The basic metabolic rate plays a vital role and it is important that a woman balances her rate and the quantity of food that she intakes. Women have to follow an antioxidant diet which will be additional help in controlling obesity, including indulging in more physical activities and exercise. Knowing about the food we intake is essential. Approximately 20% of women patients approaching the hospital are obese which has to be controlled.”