Effectiveness Of Physical Activity Among The School Going Adolescents In Chennai District Tamil Nadu A Quasi Experimental Study

Abstract

Obesity is a rapidly emerging epidemic universally. The newlineworldwide prevalence of obesity has tripled since 1975. There are newlineover 340 million children between 5 and 19 years, who were found newlineto be obese or overweight in the year 2016.[1 ] Childhood overweight newlineand obesity is increasing at an alarming rate and requires to be newlinechecked at the earliest. Over a period of 40 years, obesity in school newlinechildren and adolescents has increased by 10 times. Prevention of newlineobesity during childhood can lead to improved health and wellbeing newlinewhich will be sustained even during adulthood. [2 ] Obesity can be newlinedefined as the excessive fat accumulation that is harmful to health newlineand wellbeing. This is due to the positive energy balance from newlineexcess caloric intake and/ or inadequate physical activity, which is newlineinfluenced by a variety of factors such as genetic, behavioral, and newlineenvironmental newlineObesity is a swiftly emerging disease which is modifiable and newlinepreventable. The onset begins from childhood and needs to be newlinecurtailed to prevent morbidity and mortality in adulthood. Tamil newlineNadu ranks nineth in the prevalence of obesity in India among other newlinestates and Union territories. Chennai district being a metropolitan newlinecity which is the hub of urbanisation is at a higher risk of newlinedevelopment of obesity. Hence a study involving an intervention newlinewhich focuses on the dietary patterns and physical activity of school newlinegoing adolescents was conducted. newline