SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2022

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), overweight and obesity coexist with persistent underweight population struggles, creating a dual public health burden. While the prevalence of underweight is well documented, the association between overweight-obesity and determinants of food choice remains understudied. This review looks at the major determinants of obesity and factors that influence food choices among obese adolescents and adults in LMICs. Among the hypothesized determinants of obesity are genetic determinants including FTO, Ghrelin, and Leptin; social and psychological factors such as socioeconomic status and stress; and changes in global diet and physical activity. The findings suggest that the genetic variants FTO and FGF21 influenced obesogenic actions, such as increased food intake, lack of physical activity, and decreased metabolism. Food cost, availability, urbanization, and socioeconomic status also strongly determined individuals’ choice in food intake. Moreover, women in LMICs had a higher prevalence of obesity compared to men. Thus, practical interventions such as behavioral change models that incorporate both biological and environmental variables are more likely to succeed in facilitating effective dietary intake changes. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of data on effective strategies for preventing the onset of obesity. Thus, more research in this area is critical for intervention.