Co esponding au ho : Jenny Susan Va ghis
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License 4.0.
Li es yle a he co e: Unpacking he oo s o obesi y and o e weigh
Jenny Susan Va ghis 1, *, Sa amol Binu 1, Gow i P Pillai 1 and Roshiny Thankam James 2
1 Pha m D In e n, Naza e h college o pha macy, Thi u alla, Ke ala, India.
2 Assis an p o esso , Naza e h college o pha macy, Thi u alla, Ke ala, India.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(01), 1602-1608
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 07 June 2025; e ised on 15 July 2025; accep ed on 17 July 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.27.1.2682
Abs ac
Backg ound: The global ise in he o e weigh and obesi y is a majo public heal h issue. Obesi y has been doubled
since 1990s. O e weigh can be de ined as ha ing BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and obesi y as a BMI ≥30kg/m2. In Ke ala, NFHS da a
showing inc easing obesi y a e highe han he na ional a e age. Acco ding o he WHO, in 2022 43% o he global
adul popula ion we e o e weigh whe eas 16% we e obese. The s udy explo es he p e alence and need o he
awa eness and in e en ion o s ep down om obesi y.
Objec i e: To s udy he p e alence o o e weigh and obesi y among adul s and o assess he li es yle ac o s
con ibu ing o hese condi ions.
Ma e ials and me hods: A c oss-sec ional s udy was conduc ed o assess he p e alence o o e weigh and obesi y and
da a we e collec ed om a ious si es and colleges o Pa hanam hi a dis ic . The sample size o he s udy was 729 and
he du a ion o s udy was app oxima ely abou 6 mon hs (No embe 2023- Ap il 2024) . The pa icipan s we e asked
o ill ou he ques ionnai e wi h hei knowledge, hen conduc ed an awa eness class a e 1-mon h simila
ques ionnai e is p o ided o e alua e he p og ess o he esea ch pa icipan s. Ques ionnai es we e illed wi h ace- o-
ace in e iews wi h he willing esea ch pa icipan .
Resul s: The in luence o li es yle ac o s on obesi y and o e weigh among adul s we e assessed and i showed physical
ac i i y le els sligh ly imp o ed, especially among he o e weigh g oup. A amily his o y o obesi y was no ed in
37.78% o obese indi iduals, indica ing a possible gene ic link. Counselling posi i ely in luenced li es yle and ac i i y
habi s.
Conclusion: The esul o he s udy poin s ou he lack o physical ac i i y and imp ope die a y pa e n has ac as majo
ac o o being o e weigh and obese. The seden a y li es yle p ac ices should be a oided I is impo an o ha e u u e
de elopmen al and manage ial s a egies o p e en om o e weigh and obesi y.
Keywo ds: Obesi y; O e weigh ; P e alence; Adul s; Body mass Index
1. In oduc ion
Obesi y is he excessi e accumula ion o a ha ha ms heal h, wi h inc easing global incidence. I is a se ious Public
heal h conce n, impac ing bo h physical and men al well-being. Abdominal obesi y, iden i ied by wais ci cum e ence,
has gained a en ion since 1997 by he Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion as a key isk ma ke . Li es yle ac o s, including poo
die , lack o physical ac i i y, and inadequa e sleep, a e majo con ibu o s o obesi y and o e weigh . Die s high in
p ocessed oods, suga s, and unheal hy a s lead o an excess o calo ies, p omo ing a accumula ion. A seden a y
li es yle, cha ac e ized by minimal physical ac i i y and p olonged si ing, u he slows me abolism, making i di icul
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(01), 1602-1608
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o main ain a heal hy weigh . Regula physical ac i i y, such as ae obic exe cises, helps bu n calo ies, build muscle, and
educe a . Inadequa e sleep dis up s me abolic p ocesses, inc eases hunge ho mones, and p omo es o e ea ing.
Ch onic s ess can lead o emo ional ea ing and a s o age, pa icula ly in he abdominal a ea. Addi ionally,
en i onmen al ac o s like limi ed access o heal hy ood op ions o sa e spaces o exe cise play a ole in obesi y a es.
Adop ing heal hie ea ing habi s, engaging in egula exe cise, managing s ess, and ensu ing adequa e sleep a e
essen ial s eps o p e en and manage obesi y and educe he isk o ela ed heal h condi ions. This s udy aims o assess
he in luence o li es yle ac o s on obesi y and o e weigh in adul s esiding in Thi u alla, using bo h BMI and li es yle
habi s as key ac o s. By iden i ying hese dispa i ies, he s udy seeks o p o ide aluable insigh s ha can help de elop
s a egies o imp o e pa ien s' li es yles and aise awa eness abou a ious diseases ha may esul om obesi y.
Objec i e
The objec i e o his s udy is o assess how li es yle ac o s, speci ically die , sleep, and exe cise, con ibu e o obesi y
and o e weigh in adul s aged om 18-59 yea s o age in Thi u alla aluk, Pa hanam hi a dis ic Ke ala.
2. Me hodology
This c oss-sec ional s udy aimed o assess he in luence o li es yle ac o s on obesi y and o e weigh among adul s in
Pa hanam hi a dis ic , India. Conduc ed om No embe 2023 o Ap il 2024, wi h 729 pa icipan s, he s udy was
app o ed by he Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d o Naza e h College o Pha macy. Pa icipan s aged 18-60 we e included,
while p egnan , lac a ing women, and indi iduals unwilling o pa icipa e we e excluded. Da a we e collec ed using a
s uc u ed ques ionnai e om schools and colleges in he dis ic . The s udy began wi h an awa eness p og am ocusing
on obesi y- ela ed isks and li es yle changes. Pa icipan s comple ed a p e-assessmen ques ionnai e, ollowed by a
simila one mon h la e o assess changes in knowledge and beha io . S a is ical analysis o he da a de e mined obesi y
p e alence and explo ed he long- e m heal h complica ions ela ed o physical ac i i y and die a y pa e ns. The s udy
p o ides aluable insigh s in o he impac o li es yle choices on obesi y and highligh s he need o a ge ed heal h
in e en ions.
3. Resul s
3.1. Dis ibu ion o gende
Table 1 Dis ibu ion o Gende in s udy pa icipan s
Sl.no
Gende
F equency
Pe cen age
1
MALE
162
50%
2
FEMALE
162
50%
To al
324
100%
In ou s udy, bo h Male and Female indi iduals we e equally concluded whe e bo h had 50% dis ibu ion be ween he
bo h g oup and hence p oduced no signi icance in P e alence o Obesi y and O e weigh .
3.2. Dis ibu ion o age g oup
Table 2 Dis ibu ion o Age in S udy Pa icipan s
Sl.no
Age g oup
F equency
Pe cen age(%)
1
18-25
153
47.22%
2
26-33
25
7.73%
3
34-41
18
5.55%
4
42-49
28
8.64%
5
50-58
78
24.07%
6
ABOVE 58
22
6.79%
TOTAL
324
100%
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(01), 1602-1608
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In ou s udy, 324 pa icipan s ell unde he ca ego y o o e weigh and obesi y and in his 47.22 % belonged o he age
g oup o 18-25, 7.73 % come unde ca ego y o 26-33, 5.55% belong o ca ego y o 34-41, 8.64% come unde 42-49,
24.07 % come unde 50-58 age g oup.
3.3. Dis ibu ion o social habi s
Table 3 Dis ibu ion o social habi s in o e weigh and obese popula ion
Sl.no
Response
Social Habi s
Be o e Counselling
Pe cen age
A e Counselling
Pe cen age
1
O e weigh
Alcohol
26
10.86%
23
9.78%
Smoking
8
3.34%
6
2.57%
D ug subs ances
2
0.8%
2
0.85%
No social habi s
204
85%
204
86.8%
2
Obesi y
Alcohol
17
16.83%
15
16.85%
Smoking
3
2.97%
2
2.24%
D ug subs ances
9
8.91%
0
0%
No social habi s
72
71.29%
72
80.89%
The abo e g aph compa es he pa icipan ’s social habi s be o e and a e counsellin, I shows ha a e he counselling
session , he majo i y o hem ha e chosen o educe hei social habi s. Alcohol use sligh ly declined among o e weigh
(10.86% o 9.78%) and emained s able in obese indi iduals (16.83% o 16.85%). Smoking educed in bo h g oups, and
d ug use emained he same .“No social habi s” inc eased o e all—85% o 86.8% (o e weigh ) and 71.29% o 80.89%
(obesi y)— e lec ing heal hie li es yle ends.
3.4. Do you ge a leas 30 minu es o physical ac i i y ?
Figu e 1 G aphical ep esen a ion o numbe o indi idual’s in ol ed in physical ac i i y
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(01), 1602-1608
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Table 4 Dis ibu ion o physical ac i i y among s udy pa icipan
Sl.no
Response
Be o e Counselling
Pe cen age
A e Counselling
Pe cen age
1
O e weigh
Yes
73
31.19%
75
32.46%
No
104
44.44%
94
40.69%
Some imes
57
24.37%
62
26.85%
2
Obesi y
Yes
23
25.55%
22
25.88%
No
45
50%
37
43.54%
Some imes
22
24.45%
26
30.58%
The compa ison o ge ing physical ac i i y be o e and a e counselling has been depic ed in he g aph abo e. A e
counselling, o e weigh epo s ose om 31.19% o 32.46%, and “Some imes” om 24.37% o 26.85%. Obesi y denial
d opped om 50% o 43.54%, while “Some imes” ose om 24.45% o 30.58%, indica ing inc eased awa eness o
physical ac i i y o weigh issues pos -counselling.
3.5. Does anyone in you amily ha e obesi y
Table 5 Tabula Dis ibu ion o Familial His o y o O e weigh and Obesi y
Sl.no
Response
F equency
Pe cen age
1
O e weigh
Yes
84
35.89%
No
150
64.11%
2
Obesi y
Yes
34
37.78%
No
56
62.22%
Figu e 2 Dis ibu ion o indi iduals wi h a amily his o y o obesi y and o e weigh
In ou s udy, i was ound ha in obese popula ion 37.78% ha e amilial his o y o obesi y ,62.22% does no ha e
amilial his o y o obesi y whe eas in o e weigh popula ion 35.89% ha e amilial his o y o obesi y,64.11% does no
ha e amilial his o y o obesi y.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(01), 1602-1608
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3.6. Dis ibu ion o indi iduals who ake junk ood and homemade ood on a daily basis
Table 6 Tabula Dis ibu ion o indi iduals who ake junk and homemade ood on daily basis
Sl No
F equency
Pe cen age
1.
O e weigh
Junk Food
133
56.83%
Home Food
101
43.17%
2.
Obesi y
Junk Food
61
67.77%
Home Food
20
22.23%
In ou s udy, die a y habi s we e examined in ela ion o o e weigh and obesi y. Among he o e weigh pa icipan s,
a signi ican p opo ion (56.83%) epo ed egula ly consuming junk ood, while 43.17% p ima ily consumed home-
cooked meals. The end was e en mo e p onounced among he obese pa icipan s, wi h 67.77% indica ing a p e e ence
o junk ood, compa ed o only 22.23% who consumed home ood egula ly. These indings sugges a s ong associa ion
be ween equen junk ood consump ion and inc eased p e alence o obesi y and o e weigh .
4. Discussion
In ou s udy, conduc ed among 729 pa icipan s, he esul s e ealed ha 72.23% o subjec s we e classi ied as
o e weigh , while 19.75% we e diagnosed as Obese Class I, 6.48% as Obese Class II, and 1.54% as Obese Class III, based
on hei BMI. These indings align wi h he global analysis conduc ed by Ma iel M. Finucane, G e chen A. S e ens, and
colleagues (2011), which analyzed da a om 9.1 million pa icipan s ac oss a ious su eys and concluded ha he
global p e alence o o e weigh (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m²) exceeds ha o obesi y (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²).
Rega ding gende dis ibu ion, ou s udy ound ha o e weigh was mo e p e alen among emales, while obesi y was
mo e common in males. This pa e n is consis en wi h he indings o a s udy conduc ed by TLS Vissche e al. (2002)
in he Ne he lands, which obse ed an inc ease in obesi y p e alence be ween 1976 and 1997, wi h a mo e p onounced
ise among men compa ed o women.
In e ms o li es yle ac o s, 18.89% o he obese pa icipan s epo ed consuming alcohol be o e he counselling session,
a igu e ha sligh ly dec eased o 16.67% a e he session. This aligns wi h a s udy by U aipo n Boo anasuksakul e al.
(2019), which examined he co ela ion be ween alcohol consump ion and BMI in uni e si y s uden s. The s udy ound
ha 29.87% o hea y d inke s had a di ec ela ionship be ween inc eased alcohol consump ion and highe BMI,
sugges ing ha alcohol consump ion could con ibu e o weigh gain.
Ou su ey also e ealed ha 25.55% o obese pa icipan s engaged in a leas 30 minu es o physical ac i i y be o e
counselling, wi h a sligh inc ease o 25.88% a e he session. These indings mi o he esul s om a s udy by Ma in
Linds om e al. (2003), which analyzed leisu e- ime physical ac i i y and obesi y ends o e ime. Thei s udy ound
an inc ease in obesi y p e alence among bo h males ( om 4.6% o 11.4%) and emales ( om 6.1% o 9.8%) be ween
1986 and 1994, highligh ing he g owing impo ance o physical ac i i y in managing obesi y. In e ms o pe cep ions
abou he causes o obesi y, ou s udy ound ha he majo i y o o e weigh pa icipan s (44.44% be o e counselling,
40.69% a e ) iden i ied physical inac i i y as he main con ibu ing ac o . On he o he hand, a majo i y o obese
pa icipan s belie ed die was he p ima y cause, wi h 61.22% exp essing his belie be o e counselling and 66.66%
a e . This aligns wi h he indings o Teshale Da ebo e al. (2019), who ound ha 21.6% o 531 s udy pa icipan s
a ibu ed low physical ac i i y o o e weigh and obesi y, alongside die a y pa e ns ha in ol ed equen in ake o
swee s, mea , and eggs.
Rega ding smoking habi s, 3.34% o obese pa icipan s we e smoke s be o e he counselling session, which dec eased
o 2.57% a e wa d. This educ ion in smoking is suppo ed by he s udy conduc ed by Shad ach Rache e al. (2017),
which ound ha hea y smoking was associa ed wi h a 60% inc ease in he likelihood o obesi y.
Addi ionally, 56% o pa icipan s in ou su ey epo ed ha ing a amily his o y o obesi y, and hese indi iduals we e
signi ican ly mo e likely o be a isk o becoming obese. This inding is in line wi h he s udy by PKE Magnusson & F.
Rasmussen e al. (2002), which ound ha 36% o i s -deg ee ela i es o obese indi iduals a e mo e p one o obesi y,
emphasizing he gene ic componen o he condi ion.
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In ou s udy, a highe in ake o junk ood was s ongly associa ed wi h bo h o e weigh and obesi y. Among he
o e weigh g oup, 56.83% consumed junk ood, compa ed o 43.17% who p e e ed home-cooked meals. This end
was e en mo e p ominen in he obese g oup, whe e 67.77% consumed junk ood and only 22.23% elied on home
ood. In con as , heal hie die a y choices such as educed ed mea and inc eased ege able in ake showed
imp o emen pos -counselling. Red mea consump ion among o e weigh pa icipan s d opped om 110 o 59, and
om 46 o 13 among obese pa icipan s. These esul s suppo he indings o a me a-analysis by M.H. Rouhani e al.
(2014), which concluded ha highe ed and p ocessed mea consump ion is linked o inc eased obesi y isk. Whi e
mea consump ion also declined a e counselling— om 155 o 105 in o e weigh indi iduals and om 66 o 43 in
obese pa icipan s. A 2023 s udy by Jinan Almajed e al. no ed ha high whi e mea in ake in obese indi iduals was
posi i ely associa ed wi h Bac e oides, while lowe in ake in non-obese indi iduals co ela ed wi h Ac inobac e ia.
Vege able consump ion inc eased sligh ly pos -counselling. Among he o e weigh g oup, i ose om 206 o 213, and
in he obese g oup, om 72 o 79. These indings align wi h he s udy by Jihun You e al. (2016), which ound ha ui
and ege able in ake pa ially media ed he ela ionship be ween low socioeconomic s a us and obesi y in adolescen
gi ls.
5. Conclusion
The s udy examined he dis ibu ion o gende , age g oup, social habi s, physical ac i i y, and amilial his o y in
pa icipan s wi h o e weigh and obesi y.
• Gende Dis ibu ion: The s udy showed an equal dis ibu ion be ween male and emale pa icipan s, each
accoun ing o 50% o he o al sample. This balance sugges s no signi ican gende di e ence in he p e alence
o obesi y and o e weigh in his s udy.
• Age G oup Dis ibu ion: The majo i y o pa icipan s (47.22%) ell wi hin he 18-25 age g oup, indica ing ha
younge indi iduals may be mo e p one o o e weigh and obesi y. The s udy also e ealed ha he p e alence
o o e weigh and obesi y dec eased wi h age, wi h he 50-58 age g oup accoun ing o 24.07% o pa icipan s,
and hose abo e 58 accoun ing o only 6.79%.
• Social Habi s: A no able educ ion in nega i e social habi s such as alcohol consump ion, smoking, and d ug
use was obse ed a e counselling. This sugges s ha he counselling had a posi i e impac in encou aging
heal hie li es yle choices among pa icipan s.
• Physical Ac i i y: The compa ison o physical ac i i y le els be o e and a e counselling e ealed a sligh
imp o emen in bo h o e weigh and obese popula ions. Among he o e weigh g oup, 31.19% engaged in
physical ac i i y be o e counselling, inc easing o 32.46% a e . Fo he obese g oup, 24.45% engaged in
physical ac i i y be o e counselling, wi h a sligh inc ease o 30.58% pos -counselling. This highligh s a small
bu posi i e shi owa ds mo e physical ac i i y ollowing counselling.
• Familial His o y: The s udy ound ha a signi ican po ion o he obese popula ion (37.78%) had a amilial
his o y o obesi y, compa ed o 35.89% in he o e weigh g oup. This sugges s ha amilial his o y may play a
ole in he de elopmen o obesi y, hough i does no ully accoun o he p e alence, as a subs an ial
p opo ion o pa icipan s did no epo a amilial his o y o obesi y.
O e all, he indings sugges ha bo h gende and amilial his o y do no show a signi ican di e ence in he p e alence
o o e weigh and obesi y in his popula ion. Howe e , younge indi iduals, pa icula ly in he 18-25 age g oup, appea
o be mo e a ec ed. Addi ionally, counselling in e en ions seem o ha e a posi i e e ec on educing ha m ul social
habi s and inc easing physical ac i i y le els.
6. Conclusion
The s udy ound equal ep esen a ion o males and emales, wi h bo h g oups showing simila a es o obesi y and
o e weigh . The highes p e alence was in he 18-25 age g oup (47.22%), wi h a dec ease in olde age g oups. A e
counselling, pa icipan s showed a educ ion in unheal hy social habi s like alcohol and smoking. Physical ac i i y le els
also sligh ly inc eased, pa icula ly in he o e weigh g oup. A amilial his o y o obesi y was obse ed in 37.78% o he
obese popula ion, sugges ing a gene ic link, hough many did no ha e a amily his o y. O e all, counselling appea ed o
posi i ely impac li es yle habi s and physical ac i i y.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(01), 1602-1608
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Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Acknowledgmen s
The au ho s would like o ex end hei since e g a i ude o he s a o Naza e h college o pha macy and he ins i u ions
ha consen ed o pa icipa e in he s udy o hei kind suppo in his esea ch.
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
No con lic o in e es o be disclosed.
S a emen o in o med consen
In o med consen was ob ained om all indi idual pa icipan s included in he s udy.
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