OBESITY INDICATORS AMONG LOWER MIDDLE CLASS AND UPPER MIDDLE CLASS COLLEGE GIRLS.

Accurate appropriate assessment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is a critical aspect of contemporary medical care. The BMI is incomplete, however, without consideration of the complex behavioural factors that influence obesity. The objective of the study was to compare the commonly defined obesity indicators among upper middle class and lower middle class college girls. The study was conducted on forty girls, and the age ranged from 20 to 25 years, who were randomly selected from the School of Law, Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur (C.G). Selected variables for the study were Fat Mass (Fat in kg), Waist circumference (WC) and waist hip ratio (WHR). The girls were divided into lower and upper middle class using Kuppuswamy's socioeconomic scale questionnaire (Shankar Reddy Dudala, 2012). The statistical technique employed for this study was Independent t-test. The study depicted that there is no difference in Fat mass and waist circumference among the two groups. The study further reveals that there is a significant difference in waist hip ratio among upper middle and lower middle class girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]