THE PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AMONG TYPE 2 DIABETIC FEMALES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF DIETARY AND NUTRIENT INTAKE PATTERNS

Abstract

Background: Obesity, which is the most modifiable risk factor, is characterized by the accumulation of body fat, particularly visceral fat, due to unhealthy  dietary patterns contributing to elevated blood glucose levels and insulin  resistance in the type 2 diabetic population. Objectives: To assess the  nutritional status and its association with anthropometry in type 2 diabetic  patients among females. Methods: Based on written consent this study was  performed at Lady Reading Hospital, Endocrinology department, Peshawar,  Pakistan from December 2022 to March 2023. A sample of 96 female patients  were selected randomly. A detailed demographic (age), anthropometric (weight,  height, BMI, MUAC, body fat percentage through BIA) and 24-hr recall method  was used to analyze the nutritional status. Results: The mean weight (73.24 ± 
12.07), BMI (26.12 ± 5.43), MUAC (23.28 ± 2.82), and percent body fat  (35.29 ± 2.17) were elevated beyond the reference range. The BMI was further  classified, and a large no. of females lie in the overweight classification with  37.5%. The nutritional evaluation showed that the mean calories (2388.31 ±  328.25), carbohydrates (349.10 ± 34.67) and fats (80.42 ± 8.68) had high  consumption while protein (45.30 ± 9.34) and all the micronutrients were low  in daily food intake. The regression analysis shows that carbohydrates appear to  be the most predictive macronutrient for body composition, but the observed  effects are small and should be interpreted with caution. Conclusion: It is  concluded that the daily diet among female type 2 diabetic patients was unhealthy and needs dietary modifications, which is the main cause of obesity 
and ultimately the risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.