Kerala Ranks Highest In Abdominal Obesity; More Than Half Of Population Has Abdominal Obesity

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: A 12-year joint study conducted by the Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Diabetes Association has ranked Kerala first in the prevalence of abdominal obesity (potbelly) in India.

The study found that around 58% of the state’s population has abdominal obesity, which is defined as a waist circumference exceeding 90 cm (35 inches) in men and 80 cm (31 inches) in women.

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Notably, Kerala has also reported the highest rate of obesity among married couples, with more than half percent of the state’s married people being obese. Experts connect this condition to a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.

Punjab ranked second in the abdominal obesity, with more than 57 per cent of the population suffering from the potbelly. Haryana follows Punjab with 56 per cent of its people experiencing abdominal obesity.

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Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi also struggled with abdominal obesity. In contrast, Jharkhand (23.9%) and Madhya Pradesh (24.9%) had the lowest prevalence