Status of Pulmonary function in Indian young overweight male individuals

Obesity has emerged as a growing menace with its tentacles encompassing various body functions as demonstrated in various previous studies. Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low and middle-income countries, including India, particularly in urban settings. This study aims at quantifying the effects of obesity on pulmonary function in an Indian subpopulation and the findings would thereby serve as the proverbial "Red flag" for stemming the expected onslaught of obesity in India. This study compared select pulmonary parameters in males aged 18-25 years (44 were overweight and 48 were normal).Results when analyzed statistically using students "t" test showed that there was a significant decrease in Slow Vital Capacity, Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Volume in first second (FEV ₁) in overweight individuals compared to controls. There was also a decrease in values of FEV ₁/FVC and Maximum Voluntary Ventilation, but were not significant. These results show that overweight has an impact on respiratory functions and are in concordance with studies from other parts of the world and hence we also have to safeguard against the hazards of obesity by taking corrective steps through our health programs.