Influence of food habit on Body Mass Index of Indian and Nepalese male adolescents: A comparative study

Background: Obesity has become an epidemic across the globe and it is a multifaceted disease which requires multi-pronged combat strategy to control it. The new generations are at high risk of obesity in both developing and developed countries. Body mass index (BMI), is one of the important parameters, used to assess over weight of an individual. Aim of study: To find out the influence of food intake in the overweight of the male adolescents. Materials and Methods: A total of 1950 male adolescents (750 Indians and 1200 Nepalese; ratio = 5:8) participated in the study from India and Nepal during the period of 1^stJanuary to 31^stJuly, 2014. The BMI was calculated using the height and weight of the subjects. Microsoft Excel and SPSS-v16 were used for the data analysis. Results: Out of 1950 male adolescents 660 [33.84%] were overweight. Among the overweight individuals, 540 (81.82%) were non-vegetarians and 120 (18.18%) were vegetarians. Conclusion: The increased prevalence of overweight among male adolescents is an indicative for developing and implementing effective dietary strategies for weight management. It is reported that intake of a low-fat, low-energy diet, over the course of one week in a stress-free environment, had positive impact on the risk factors of obesity related diseases. Promoting increased awareness of better physical culture and dietary habits are necessary to prevent obesity.