Increasing Proclivity for Junk Food among Overweight Adolescent Girls in District Kurukshetra, India

Obesity in adolescents is gradually becoming a major public health problem in many developing countries, including India. Being overweight as an adolescent is associated with being overweight as an adult. Change in dietary habit of consuming more high energy junk food and shifting to sedentary lifestyle is likely to be one of the important precursors of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted on overweight adolescent girls aged 16-18 years selected purposively from two different schools in district Kurukshetra, Haryana state. Maximum (63%) subjects had monthly family income in the range of Rs. 25,000-50,000. More than two-third (66.25%) adolescent girls skipped at least one meal a day and the most frequently missed meal was breakfast (41.25%).The most common (60.37%) effect of skipping meal among adolescent girls was consumption of junk food. Potato chips, chocolate and carbonated drinks respectively, were the most (100%, 92.50%, 91.25%) preferred junk food item. The data further revealed highly significant (P<0.05) and positive correlation between fried foods vs weight and BMI (r=0.524, 0.334), respectively. Chinese foods were also significant (P<0.05) and positively correlated to weight and BMI (r= 0.342, 0.224), respectively. The adolescent girls were consuming excess of energy, protein and fat but inadequate micronutrients like iron and beta–carotene. The results of the present investigation suggested that it is necessary to promote healthy eating habits among adolescents and educate them about ill effects of junk food so as to prevent overweight/obesity and obesity related complications.