Biomedical Letters

A significant association between acid-alkaline imbalance and obesity of adolescent college girls

Asma Yawar 1, Shahid Mahmood Rana 1, Nidaa Harun 2*, Sabra Afzal 3, Nimra Arooj 2, Kaneez Fatima 2

1 Department of Home-Economics, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan

2 Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara 56130, Pakistan

3 Department of Economics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

Abstract

Obesity has become a major health concern in the past few decades. It is quite threatening that it is now a common problem among our adults, especially girls. The possible reason for this alarming increase is might acid-alkaline imbalance by the disproportional diet of our young girls. Therefore, current research was planned to identify an association between acid-alkaline imbalance and obesity of adolescent college girls. The nutritional and acid-alkaline status of 428 college girls aged between seventeen-nineteen years from Government Girls Higher Secondary school, Nishatabad, Faisalabad, were evaluated in this prospective study. Blood, saliva, and urine samples were used as study instruments, along with a food frequency questionnaire and anthropometric measures. Based on Body Mass Index (BMI), 227, 178, and 23 volunteers were found to be normal weight, underweight and obese, respectively. The anthropometrics, indicative biomarkers, and dietary intakes of all volunteers were assessed. It is found that weight (63.19±1.57 kg), BMI (29.17±0.64 kg/m²), body fat (34.45±0.58 %), body water (47.73±0.42%), and muscle mass (34.65±0.22%) of obese girls fluctuates significantly from normal ones and international standards. Drastic and significant variations in acid-alkaline status were found in obese girls as depicted by pH values of blood (7.35±0.01), saliva (5.46±0.13), and urine (5.77±0.11). Very pitiable, inadequate, and imbalanced dietary intakes were explored in obese students as indicated by servings of junk foods (4.82±0.53), fats, oils, & sweets group (4.56±1.09), vegetable group (0.86±0.09), and fruit group (1.72±0.18). A positive association was found in some dietary intakes and indicative biomarkers. Malnutrition resulted in meager anthropometrics, imbalance of acid-alkaline status, and obesity in adolescent college girls.