A Descriptive Study to Assess Body Mass Index and Waist Hip Ratio in Women, Chittoor District

The rising prevalence of obesity among young adult women is a major public health problem which is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality as well as reduced life expectancy. The purpose of the study was to determine the status of obesity among young adult women. Method: The data was collected from two hundred and fifty five women (N=255) with no known morbidity from selected residential areas in Chittoor district. Subjects were interviewed using a pre structured and pretested questionnaire. Results: The two variables in the study are Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR). The results of the study were majority (31 %) of women were overweight and 24.8 % were obese. Conclusion: Majority of women were obese in their young adulthood which indicates they are at risk of chronic health problems in the later life and they need to be made aware regarding the benefits of physical activity and of taking healthy diet. Conclusion: This community based study demonstrated high prevalence of obesity and overweight among the young adult women population.