Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among housewives of Karachi, Pakistan.
Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, housewives attending different hospitals, fulfilling inclusion criteria for the study received a Questionnaire adopted from a previous study done in Iran. Questionnaire was filled with trained assistants and had questions regarding demographic information in addition to the questions relevant to Physical and physiological status.
Results: Out of 250 housewives, BMI of 4.8% was in the category of underweight, 31.6% participants were normal, 30.4% were overweight and 33.2% were obese.
Conclusion: Prevalence of obesity and overweight was found to be high. It can be reduced by encouraging awareness about the factors associated with obesity and overweight as well as help us to prevent them at the primordial level.

Key words: Obesity, overweight, body mass index