Effect of Dietary Habits on Body Mass Index of the Selected Population in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: Obesity remains to be a serious problem in all parts of the world and is not restricted to adults but also found in children, teenagers, and young adults. Consumption of snacks and junk foods high in fat and sugars constitutes a risk factor for obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Aim: To study the influence of the dietary habits on the Body Mass Index of the selected population Methods: About 1000 samples were selected using a stratified and simple random sampling technique. Height, weight, and BMI were measured for the subjects using appropriate methods. An interview schedule was used to collect the details. Food frequency questionnaire and three-day dietary recall was used to collect the food consumption pattern. The obtained details were coded and subjected to statistical analysis. The required data were correlated.
Results: In the present study, BMI increases with an increased frequency of outside food consumption. BMI was higher among the vegetarian population compared to the mixed vegetarian diet and ova- vegetarian population. At the same time, underweight population (BMI less than 18.4kcal/m2) was less in the mixed diet population. Calorie-dense foods, namely packet foods, fried foods, noodles, parota, and chocolates, were consumed more by overweight participants, and it is highly significant at a 1% level.
Conclusion: Effective policies and programs are urgently required to reduce overweight and obesity. Consumption of wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, greens must be encouraged. The importance of antioxidants in the diet must be educated among the general public. Going back to traditional foods must be encouraged, such as ragi gruel, millets based food stuff, and fermented traditional recipes could be incorporated in the daily menu.