Background: Obesity has emerged as an epidemic not only in the developed countries but also in the developing countries. The present study was conducted to assess obesity level in dental students. Materials & Methods:  The present study was conducted on 580 dental students which comprised of 280 males and 300 females. In all subjects, height (mm) and weight (Kg) were measured. Students with body mass index (BMI) above 95th percentile were considered as obese, those between 85th and 95th percentile as overweight, and those with BMI below the 5th percentile were considered as underweight. Results: 60 males and 70 females were obese, 55 males and 40 females were underweight, 165 males and 190 females were overweight. The difference was non- significant (P> 0.05). Age group 18-20 years had 50 obese, 35 underweight and 140 overweight students, 20-22 years had 25 obese, 40 underweight and 85 overweight students and 22-24 years had 55 obese, 20 underweight and 130 overweight students. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). 110 males and 125 females had habit of taking 3-4 meals a day, only 55 males and 65 females try to eat fiber and 115 males and 110 females eat in between snacks. The difference was non- significant (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Dental students are more prone to develop obesity. The prevalence of obesity and overweight children is increasing day by day.
Key words:  Obesity, Overweight, Underweight

Received: 10 May 2018                                        Revised: 19June 2018                                   Accepted: 22 June 2018

Corresponding author: Dr. Reecha Gupta, Professor, Department of Prosthodontics and Dental materials, Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu, India

This article may be cited as: Gupta R, Gupta B, Gupta N, Singh M, Gupta M, Dua B. Assessment of Obesity Level in Dental Students- A Clinical Study. Int J Res Health Allied Sci 2018; 4(4):56-58.