Belly fat: Menfolk of Chandigarh least bothered

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, May 8

Chandigarh has the highest percentage (67%) of men having high waist-to-hip ratio in the country that puts them at a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications, according to National Family Health Survey-5.

For the first time, the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021) measured the waist circumference and hip circumference of women and men aged from 15 to 49 years. This information was used to calculate the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).

The ratio helps identify the distribution of body fat and predicts abdominal obesity. People who carry more weight around their middle than their hips may be at a higher risk of developing certain health conditions. Abdominal obesity is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke and premature death.

Dr Sonu Goel from the Department of Community Medicine, PGIMER, who has been working on trans fat-rich food consumption pattern in Punjab, said, “Generally, the waist-to-hip ratio is higher among females than males. Here in Chandigarh, people have a sedentary lifestyle and about 50-60 per cent are office goers who are not engaged in any physical activity. Secondly, the gross per capita income is higher compared to other cities. They are eating a lot of junk food and bakery items that is rich in trans-fat content.

“Trans-fat is considered the worst type of fat to eat. It raises “bad” cholesterol and also lowers “good” cholesterol. A diet laden with trans-fats increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. This is also the reason why we find more obese people here. Chandigarh is also a diabetic capital of the country,” said Dr Goel.

In India, more than half (57%) of women and 48 per cent of men have a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) that puts them at a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. For men, it is the highest in Chandigarh (67%) and lowest in Meghalaya (25%).

What is waist-to-hip ratio

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is calculated by dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a healthy WHR is 0.9 or less in men and 0.85 or less in women.