ABSTRACT
The prevalence of obesity and overweight has risen substantially in the past few decades. It is a public health problem that is associated with significant increase in morbidity and mortality, and a reduction in health-related quality of life [1,2]. Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on body mass index (BMI). BMI is defined as an individual’s weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is considered to be a normal weight, a BMI between 25 and 30 is classified as overweight, and a BMI of more than 30 is considered obese [3,4]. Among Asians, a BMI of 23 or higher is overweight, and a BMI of 27 or higher is obese, due to increased incidence of obesity-related complications at lower BMI.
