Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in South Asians

Obesity and the metabolic syndromeObesityand metabolic syndromeMetabolic syndrome (MetS) are chronic conditions resulting from biological, environmental, cultural, and lifestyle factors. MetS is a global health problem, particularly in South Asian countries and those of South Asian descent living across the globe. MetS, and its components including insulin resistance (IR), hypertension, and dyslipidemia, is prevalent among both non-obese and obese South Asians when using BMI cutoffs for the general population and is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, Asian-specific BMI cutoffs and waist circumference (WC) criteria have been proposed. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, and complications of obesity and MetS among the South Asian population. The increased prevalence of obesity and MetS among South Asians warrants both individual-level and community-level interventions to effectively manage and reduce the disease burden in this population.