Obesity And Overweight Rates Surge Across All Age Groups In India; Know What Is The Reason

Obesity, a serious health concern, affecting people of all ages is linked to various serious health issues like diabetes, heart disease and more. Obesity is becoming a rising health challenge in India, affecting all age groups, from young children to adults. According to a recent report by UNICEF, the prevalence of obesity has exceeded that of underweight as the most common type of malnutrition among school-aged children globally. One in ten children globally are living with obesity and this is no longer a problem only of the rich.

Low- and middle-income countries are experiencing rapid increases in obesity rates with India being no exception. To make matters worse, South Asia has experienced a staggering fivefold increase in overweight children in the last twenty years.

Surge In Rates Across India

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data has indicated the alarming increase in overweight and obesity rates among children under five years of age with rates increasing by 127 per cent (1.5 per cent to 3.4 per cent) between the NHFS 3 (2005-06) and NHFS 5 (2019-2021). Rates of overweight have likewise increased for adolescent girls and boys with a combined rate of overweight and obesity increasing by 125 per cent (from 2.4 per cent to 5.4 per cent) for adolescent girls and 288 per cent (1.7 per cent to 6.6 per cent) for adolescent boys. 

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For adults, overweight and obesity rates increased by 91 per cent (12.6 per cent to 24.0 per cent) for women and by 146 per cent (9.3 to 22.9 per cent) for men, presenting an unhealthy health crisis for the country at large (NFHS 5 2019-21). India is projected to have over 27 million children and adolescents (5-19 years of age) with obesity by 2030, also accounting for 11 per cent of the global burden of obesity (CNNS 2016-18).

According to the Indian Economic Survey 2024-25, Ultra Processed Food (UPF) consumption in India has increased from USD 900 million (2006) to USD 37.9 billion (2019), increasing at more than 33% compounded annual growth rate. Between 2011-2021, UPF retail sales increased at a CAGR of in excess of 13.7 per cent.

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Alarming rise in overweight and obesity in India (Image Credits: Canva)

Causes Behind The Epidemic

A variety of early-life factors are driving the increases. This includes suboptimal nutrition in pregnancy, poor nutrition practices for children including not breastfeeding for long enough and social and gender norms where adolescent girls and women are often the last to eat and least to eat. The increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, low levels of physical activity and increased screen time among young children and adolescents is also contributing to the crisis. All of this is happening in an unhealthy food environment that is dominated by ultra-processed foods and products.