Obesity in the Indian population
Obesity has attained pandemic proportions globally, and now rates are exploding in South Asian countries. In an Indian setting, obesity ranges from apparently thin looking individuals with normal weight obesity (NWO), to those at the far end of the spectrum with morbid obesity.
I was not doing justice in my clinical practice
by using conventional obesity indicators.
Dr. Nitin Kapoor, an endocrine clinician, found conventional obesity indicators were not meeting patient needs. He researched clinical and genetic indicators of obesity, and their role in identifying metabolic disorders in the Asian Indian population. Dr Kapoor's PhD study will to help change policy and practice of obesity assessment in the Indian population.
This is the first study in India to assess the prevalence of normal weight obesity and to evaluate the risks associated with these characteristics. Dr. Kapoor reviewed the impact of a lifestyle intervention and introduced a cost-effective method of assessing visceral adipose tissue.
Almost one-third of this South Asian population, at high risk for T2D, had normal weight obesity. The significantly higher cardiometabolic risk associated with increased adiposity even in lower BMI individuals has important implications for recognition in clinical practice.
Dr Nitin Kapoor received the Anil R Sheth Award at the 2020 Endocrine Society of India Annual Awards.
Publications
- Kapoor N, Lotfaliany M, Sathish T, Thankappan KR, Thomas N, Furler J, Oldenburg B, Tapp RJ, Prevalence of normal weight obesity and its associated cardio-metabolic risk factors - Results from the baseline data of the Kerala Diabetes Prevention Program (KDPP). PLoS One , 2020 Aug 25;15(8):e0237974.
- Kapoor N, Lotfaliany M, Sathish T, Thankappan KR, Tapp RJ, Thomas N, Furler J, Oldenburg Effect of a Peer-led Lifestyle Intervention on Individuals With Normal Weight Obesity: Insights From the Kerala Diabetes Prevention Program Clin Ther. 2020 Aug;42(8):1618-1624.
- Kapoor N, Lotfaliany M, Sathish T, Thankappan KR, Thomas N, Furler J, Oldenburg B, Tapp RJ Obesity indicators that best predict type 2 diabetes in an Indian population: insights from the Kerala Diabetes Prevention Program J Nutr Sci. 2020 Apr 6;9:e15.
- Kapoor N, Jiwanmall SA, Nandyal MB, Kattula D, Paravathareddy S, Paul TV, Furler J, Oldenburg B, Thomas N. Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF) Estimation - A Novel Cost-Effective Obesity Indicator for Visceral Adipose Tissue Estimation. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes, 2020 Sep 16;13:3261-3267