Study reveals rise in obesity among rural women

A groundbreaking community-based study conducted by the Department of Community Medicine, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, has revealed a troubling shift in public health trends — obesity, once considered an urban affliction, — is now rapidly emerging as a major health crisis in the rural Punjab.

The cross-sectional survey, carried out among 610 housewives randomly selected from a rural population of 30,000 across 15 villages in Ludhiana district, found that nearly 70 per cent of participants were either overweight (43 per cent) or obese (27 per cent).

The most affected age group was 30–39 years, in which nearly one in three women was classified as obese. More than half of the surveyed women had abdominal obesity, defined by a waist circumference exceeding 80 cm, and a staggering 78 per cent reported inadequate physical activity.

“This study shows that health problems in our villages are changing fast,” said Bipin Gupta, secretary, DMCH Managing Society. “People’s involvement, regular awareness, and healthy lifestyle habits are very important. As an institution, DMCH is committed to keeping our community healthy by spreading awareness among the general public,” he said.

Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander, Principal and Cardiologist, DMCH, emphasised on the broader implications of the findings. “The rising prevalence of obesity, hypertension and diabetes in the rural areas is a matter of serious concern. The adoption of urban lifestyle patterns —including reduced physical activity, increased social media use, and dietary shifts towards processed foods — is leading to a convergence of disease risk factors between rural and urban populations,” he said.

Dr Anurag Chaudhary, Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, said, “Traditionally, rural women were considered physically active as they do agricultural work and household chores. However, mechanisation, easy access to calorie-dense packaged foods, and sedentary routines have made obesity an emerging public health challenge in these communities.”

The study also highlighted key social and behavioural risk factors. Women from higher-income rural households, who engaged in limited physical activity, consumed fried and processed foods, and spent prolonged hours on screens were found to be at significantly higher risk of obesity.

The research team — Dr Sarleen Kaur, Dr Mahesh Satija, and Dr Priya Bansal — warned that without immediate preventive measures, rural healthcare systems may soon face the same burden of chronic lifestyle diseases that urban centres were already grappling with.

Obesity, the study stressed, is not merely a cosmetic issue, but a major risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and certain cancers. The increasing prevalence among younger women places them at risk of developing chronic conditions earlier in life. DMCH experts urged policymakers, panchayats, and frontline health workers to launch targeted awareness campaigns for promoting healthy diets, regular physical activity, and reduced sedentary behaviour. “Prevention is the only sustainable solution,” the researchers emphasised. Punjab, long celebrated for its prosperity and rich culinary traditions, now faces a sobering reality. The findings from this DMCH study serve as a wake-up call — not just for the health authorities, but for rural families themselves. Obesity is no longer just an urban problem, and the time for preventive action is now.