Mapping the dietary in young adult (female)and its link to obesity.

Introduction and Background:

A proper body weight is most conductive to good health deviation of the body weight beyond certain limits from the normal is not only detrimental to health but also predisposes to many others disorders. India is facing the epidemic of obesity and its associated diseases, especially in young adults. There is compiling evidence that dietary habits and lifestyle during adulthood are risk factors for several nutrition related on-communicable diseases. There is growing evidence that in present conditions, perhaps due to decreased physical activities, sedentary life style, altered eating and increased fat content of the diet. Young adults are overweight as compared to their contemporaries in the past. In recent years increase of fastfood consumption with constant low consumption or some recommended food are observed in the world. Hence, the present study is aimed to find out the lifestyle of young adults and the relationship of obesity with this. The current study, therefore, aimed to discover the dietary habits and lifestyle.

 Adulthood represents an important life stage for the development of healthy nutrition behaviour. The nutritional demands associated with rapid physical and cognitive development and maturation are substantia. In developed countries, adolescents increasingly demonstrate early signs of adverse nutrition-related conditions, including subclinical cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Despite the importance of nutrition for adolescents’ current and future health, many adolescents consume diets that are not consistent with dietary guidelines. For example, studies from the US, Europe, and Australia demonstrate that adolescents tend to have lower than desirable intakes of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains but higher than desirable intakes of soft drinks, confectionery, and fast foods. Consequently, many young adults fall short of achieving optimal nutrient intakes for good health and development.

 For the last 20 to 30 years, dietary patterns and lifestyles have changed dramatically in India. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for development of metabolic abnormalities in later life, so preventing this epidemic becomes an important step in having better future generations. Eating habits acquired during the early childhood years may serve as an indicator for similar future habits through adulthood showed by tracking of obesity. Traditional methods of examining single foods or nutrients was not sufficient approach to analyse outcomes, so to overcome that limitation, analysis of multiple dietary components has been proposed as a more reliable approach for the assessment of overweight and obesity. Primarily the present community based study was carried out to find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents with dietary pattern as one of its associated factor. The current study aimed to assess the association of overweight and obesity with dietary patterns among young adults (Neera Marathe et al., 2020).

Mumbai, a bustling metropolis, presents a unique blend of traditional and modern dietary influences. With the city’s youth increasingly exposed to fast food and sedentary lifestyles, understanding the dietary patterns and their impact on obesity is crucial. Previous studies have highlighted a correlation between poor dietary habits and obesity, but specific data on Mumbai’s young adults remain sparse.

Rationale:

Understanding the common eating pattern and food cravings experienced by young adults would prove to be essential for the research to assess its link to obesity. Analyzing these eating pattern, can provide valuable insights, enabling better nutritional support. Identifying food choices is essential to develop effective coping strategies and interventions that improve dietary intake and lifestyle. This research strives to enhance dietary intake and foster a deeper understanding of eating pattern.

Aim:

To study dietary pattern in young adults and its link to obesity.

Objectives:

• To map the dietary patterns of young adultsyoung adults(female)

in Mumbai.

• To assess the prevalence of obesity in individuals aged 18-25 in Mumbai.

• To identify the relationship between dietary patterns and obesity in young adulthood.

• To provide recommendations for public health interventions based on the finding.

Methodology -

Type of study: Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

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Age group: 18 to 25 years

Gender: Female

Sampling Method: Random Sampling.

Sample Size: 100

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Inclusion Criteria: College going female students (18 to 25 years) will be included.

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Exclusion Criteria: Students less than 18 years and more than 25 years will be excluded.

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Informed consent form will be provided to the participants.

Data collection methods and tools: Aself-administered and structured questionnaire.

Self-administered and structured questionnaire

1. Demographic details and Anthropometric indices like height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, weight to height ratio etc.

| 2. Dietary Assessment using 24 hours recall and food frequency questionnaire.

Ethical Considerations:

- Informed consent will be obtained from all participants.

• The study will ensure confidentiality and anonymity of participant data.

• Ethical approval will be sought from the relevant institutional review board.

Expenditure of the study -

The research work is completely self-funded.

Expected outcome-

• Mapping of dietary patterns in Mumbai’s young adults

• Insight into relationship between dietary patterns and obesity.

• Evidence-based recommendations for policy and public health interventions.