In a recent speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed how minor adjustments to our eating habits can create a stronger, fitter, and healthier future. India faces a growing health crisis in obesity, which links to serious health problems like diabetes, heart issues, and high blood pressure. Poor diets lack of exercise, and more processed food consumption drive this rise in obesity. To address this problem, India’s government has started several programs, including the Fit India Movement, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and Eat Right India, to promote better lifestyles and nutrition. These initiatives push people to eat healthier, stay active, and skip junk food. The Prime Minister also pointed out the need for everyone to act together asking citizens to cut down on unhealthy oils and sugars. Through awareness and policy shifts, India aims to build a healthier future for all. By tweaking our daily routines, we can fight obesity and ensure a fitter country for the next generation.
Understanding Obesity: Definition and Causes
What is Obesity?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. The commonly used metric to classify obesity is Body Mass Index (BMI), where a BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or above is classified as obese. In India, a person is considered overweight if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 23.0 and 24.9 kg/m², and obese if their BMI is 25 kg/m² or higher. Morbid obesity occurs when a person’s BMI is 35 or more.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI), previously known as the Quetelet index, is a simple way to check if an adult has a healthy weight. It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (kg/m²). To find BMI, take a person’s weight (kg) and divide it by their height (m) squared.
Healthy BMI Range
A normal BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
Global Statistics
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been rising steadily among both adults and children worldwide. Between 1990 and 2022, the percentage of children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) with obesity increased fourfold, from 2% to 8%. During the same period, the proportion of adults (aged 18 and older) with obesity more than doubled, rising from 7% to 16%.
India’s Obesity Statistics
- As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), overall, 24% of Indian women and 23% of Indian men are overweight or obese
- As per the NFHS-5, (2019-2021) in the category of ages 15-49 years, 6.4 % of women and 4.0 % of men, are obese.
- There has also been an increase in the percentage of children under 5 years who are overweight (weight-for-height) from 2.1 percent in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 3.4 percent in NFHS-5 (2019-21) at All-India level.
