Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in School Children from Rural and Urban Areas in Mysore, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Prevalence studies on obesity in school children has been carried out extensively worldwide but such explorations are very limited in Indian populations, especially a comparative account between rural and urban areas. Very few earlier investigations in India have reported an increased prevalence of childhood obesity ranging from 5.5 % to 17%. This study was designed to know the prevalence of childhood obesity in school children from rural and urban areas in Mysore population. Data on the prevalence of obesity in children were collected and analyzed from three and four major schools from urban and rural areas of Mysore district respectively. The prevalence of childhood obesity in Mysore is not very high as compared to other reports from different regions of the country. However, it is an important multifactorial condition which needs immediate medical attention to stop the march of healthy children towards chronic disorders.