Vitamin-D link to obesity, diabetes

NEW DELHI: Vitamin-D deficiency is leading to increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes among Indian women, according to a study in British Medical Journal (

BMJ

). Findings of the cross-sectional population-based study shows that 68.6% women in India are vitamin-D ‘deficient’, whereas almost 26% have been marked ‘insufficient’.


Only 5.5% of women in the country have the vitamin in sufficient amount. The study has been conducted by researchers from AIIMS, Diabetes Foundation of India and National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation. Vitamin-D deficiency is a major public health problem worldwide. Several studies in India have shown high prevalence of the deficiency and its association with obesity.

However, the latest study concentrates on women. The researchers behind the study argue that women in India are more likely to have the deficiency as many of them are confined to households and have clothing patterns that reduce exposure to sunlight.

The findings point to high vitamin-D deficiency among women in north India, particularly those in the lower socio-economic strata.

“We believe these are very important observations. Given fast and severe worsening from pre-diabetes to diabetes in Indians, I believe a simple, cost-friendly vitamin-D supplementation would prevent diabetes in many women,” says Dr Anoop Misra, chairman, Fortis C-Doc, one of the authors of the study.