India Health & Wellness blog

Average Indian waistline has increased by 2 cms

18th September, 2008 - Posted by admin -

Article published in IBNLIVE in Health section on 10th September, states that people in India are gettting richer as well as increasing their waistline as they are eating more.  Here is the full article.

If Indians are getting richer, they are also getting fatter.

The average waistline of the Indian population has increased by two centimeters since the 1970s according to a recent study conducted by AIIMS and Max Healthcare.

“Abdominal fat produces certain hormones which are harmful for our body and can affect our insulin secretion, our fat levels and can lead to even diabetes. They can even lead to increased cardiac risk,” says Dr Ambrish Mithal.

Here is what central obesity can lead to:

  It ups the risk of diabetes by 50 per cent

  Diabetes doubles the risk of heart disease

  It also increases the risk of all cancers by almost 30-40 per cent

  Your belly fat can also affect your brain and latest research shows that a large belly in your 40s will up the risk of dementia in your 70s.

The study further shows that about 30-50 per cent of the population now suffers from hypertension, compared to just 4 to 6 per cent in the 1970s.

Infact a large waistline, hypertension, high colesterol and high blood sugar levels are a combination of risk factors that together will lead to Metabolic Syndrome failure.

But while the problems are complex, the reasons for these lifestyle disorders are simple.

Dr Ambrish Mithal says, “I think Indians are getting larger waistlines because of a change in lifestyle because of a progressive reduction in physical exercise. Se we are all becoming more and more sedentry and like couch patotoes. Coupled with that, there is an increase in consumption of fast food.”

But doctors say it is possible to reverse metabolic syndrome. An early diagnosis, a good diet and regular moderate exercise along with cholesterol controlling drugs can go a long way in checking lifestyle diseases.