Prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among adolescent school children of South Karnataka, India

At present the potential public health issue that is emerging is the increasing incidence of childhood obesity in developing countries, and the resulting socioeconomic and public health burden that will be faced by these countries in the near future. The prevalence is higher in the urban than in the rural areas. Many studies have shown that the prevalence of overweight among adolescents varies between 10 and 30%.(1–11) Prevalence varies within the country because of differences in the lifestyle, mainly in the dietary patterns, and physical activity. In addition to this urbanization and industrialization are the main culprits for the increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity. No published literature can be found in this part of the country to assess the prevalence and determinants of obesity among adolescents. Studies of such a nature will be useful tools in planning and developing appropriate intervention methods. In this context, the present study has been conducted to estimate the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among school children aged between 12 and 15 years, in a city in South Karnataka.