Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has increased in rural parts of India within the last two decades. The presence of chronic disease risk factors in individuals living with type 2 DM, such as obesity and high blood pressureare important to address in this population. Objective: To measure the prevalence of obesity and other chronic disease risk factors in type 2 diabetic patients living in a southern rural region of India. Methods: Data was collected during a medical mission trip in eight medical clinics in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India. A crosssectional study was conducted using information from a patient intake form and a diabetes questionnaire that was administered to newly and previously diagnosed DM patients. Body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and waist circumference were measured.Patients were also administered theglycohemoglobin test (HbA1c). Results: The study sample included 156 patients with type 2 DM. Among the study sample, 67% of the patients were overweight/ obese (BMI equal to or greater than 25) and 36% percent of patients had hypertension. Central obesity was present in 35% of patients. Poor diabetes managementindicated by an HbA1c score above 6.5% was experienced in 76% of patients. Half of the patients who had an HbA1c test above 6.5% were overweight/obese. Conclusion: With high occurrences of chronic disease risk factors in the study sample, important steps need to be taken towards identifying the presenceof these conditions in patients with type II DM and be incorporated into their diabetes management.

Biography

Aisha Bhimla is a Masters of Public Health student at the age of 25 years attending the University of South Florida. She completed an undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Health/Kinesiology at the University of Toronto in Canada. Her research focuses on data that was collected by a non-profit organization, Project Starfish, who provide assistance to health care workers at Holy Cross Hospital in Nagercoil and also provide direct medical care to individuals living in this region.

Email: abhimla25@gmail.com