Weight concerns and food habits of adolescent girls in two contrasting ecological regions: A comparative study in India.

Objective: To compare the incidence of weight concerns and food habits between two ethnically different groups of adolescent girls residing in two distinct ecological settings: the plains of Kolkata and the mountains of Sikkim.

Methods: Two separate cross-sectional studies were conducted within a period of five years in urban hilly areas of Sikkim and the city of Kolkata, India. A total of 506 girls aged 14-19 years were selected from the study areas of Sikkim (n=224) and Kolkata (n=282). Girls were interviewed for weight concerns and food habits along with socio-demographic characteristics. Weight concerns were assessed with four variables such as, perceptions about own body weight, felt dissatisfied with own body weight, urge for dieting and use of weight reduction diet. Food habits included consumption of major foods during the past one week.

Results: Bivariate analyses showed that Kolkata girls perceived themselves as overweight, remained dissatisfied with body weight, expressed perceived need for dieting and followed weight reduction diet more compared to the girls of Sikkim. Food habits indicated that all Sikkimese girls preferred to consume cereals regularly, while Kolkata girls consumed vegetables, pulses, fish, fruits, bread and butter and fried foods more than Sikkimese girls. Multivariate analyses showed that place of residence was significantly (p<0.05) associated with both weight concerns and food habits of girls.

Conclusion: Diversity in culture, ethnicity and socio-economic standard perhaps develop the disparity in food habits and weight concerns between girls of urban hilly areas of Sikkim and the city of Kolkata.