A recent study done to assess the diet and nutritional status of urban population has pointed out that there is an increase in incidence of Non Communicable Diseases. The increase has be attributed to change in food habits, sedentary behaviour and unhealthy lifestyles, among other risk factors. The study is titled ‘Diet and Nutritional Status of Urban Population in India and Prevalence of Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes and Hyperlipidaemia in Urban Men and Women’. It has brought to light the prevalence rates for non-communicable diseases as well as stunting, under-nutrition and obesity in children under 5 years in the 16 States surveyed.
The report has Revealed that Kerala has the highest prevalence of hypertension as well as high cholesterol in urban men and women. The study has also pointed out that Puducherry is at the top when it comes to prevalence of diabetes. The survey was carried out by National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau by researchers from the National Institute of Nutrition.
Findings:
The highest prevalence of hypertension in Kerala was 31.4% for women and 38.6% for men and lowest in Bihar, 22.2% for men and 15.7% women.
Puducherry had the highest number of diabetic men and women (42%), followed by Delhi (36%), Karnataka and Kerala (33% each).
Diabetics were the highest in the age group of 60-70 and lowest in the age group of 18-30.
The Southern States were among the 10 with the highest prevalence of obesity among urban adults. Puducherry topped with almost 60% women and 42% men being overweight. Tamil Nadu was close behind with 54% men and 38% women recorded as obese. Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh recorded high levels of obesity among its urban men and women.
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala were among the top six States which had the most tobacco smokers among urban men.
U.P. had the highest (43.6%) proportion of underweight children followed by Madhya Pradesh (32.3%), Puducherry had the lowest (14.2%).
