39% in Himachal Pradesh are obese while 11.5% are diabetic: Study

NEW DELHI: A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) found that 39 per cent of people in Himachal Pradesh suffer from obesity while 11.5 per cent are diabetic. The state-wise findings of the study were released on Tuesday, February 2, which also stated that 77 per cent people in Himachal Pradesh suffer from dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of one or more kinds of lipids in the blood that leads to increased risk of heart disease).

The study was conducted on 4,000 people in the state in the period of September 2019 and March 2020. Dr J K Mokta, Professor, Indira Gandhi Medical College, said that Himachal Pradesh is at seventh spot in terms of type-two diabetes in the country and also has a higher prevalence than national average as well as neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand. He added that the prevalence is almost equal in males and females but is higher in urban areas than in rural. Talking about abdominal obesity, Himachal Pradesh is the fourth worst hit state in the country with 55 per cent people having more than normal waist circumference.

The study found out that around 31 per cent of people in the state are suffering from hypertension. It also stated that almost 61 per cent of the people in the state were found to be physically inactive whereas only five per cent were highly active.