Exploring the Impact of Lifestyle Factors, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender on Obesity Risk in Pakistan

Abstract

Obesity is a growing global health crisis with important corollaries for individuals and health services. The risk factors of obesity are explored through this study as they relate to diet, lifestyle behaviors, socioeconomic status, and gender differences. High sugar consumption is considered one of the contributing factors to obesity as such consumption results in higher caloric intake while reducing the nutritional quality. On the other hand, obesity risk is inversely related to the consumption of regular fruit and vegetables because they are low in calories and high in fiber. Lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity and inadequate sleep also play critical roles in the development of obesity. A reduced risk is linked to physical activity, whereas insufficient sleep disrupts hormonal balance which in turn increases appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods. Also, occupation and socioeconomic factors, especially sedentary work environments increase obesity risk. There is also gender disparity in prevalence of obesity; women are more vulnerable to obesity because of biological and sociocultural factors. The Health Belief Model (HBM) is utilized to explain how individual’s perceptions of health risks affect behavior. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct a cross sectional survey of 499 adults in Karachi with respect to dietary habits, physical activity, sleeps patterns and socioeconomic status. The effects of these factors on obesity were examined using binary logistic regression using SPSS. The findings indicate that to tackle obesity, there is no one size fits all solution, but an integrated strategy needs to be adopted through the combination of lifestyle modification interventions, dietary interventions, tailored public health approaches that seek to reduce obesity risk among heterogeneous populations.