More than 40 percent of the children and adolescents in the world are obese and this number is growing fast. The figures can be more worrisome for India as it poses a big health challenge for the nation which is also considered the diabetic capital of the world. Obesity, which can also lead to noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some cancers, can become a massive health burden for India which has around 11.4 percent diabetes patients and 15.3 percent people suffering from hypertension.
A new study released by the Lancet shows that in 2022, more than 1 billion people in the world are now living with obesity. Worldwide, obesity among adults has more than doubled since 1990, and has quadrupled among children and adolescents (5 to 19 years of age). The data also show that 43% of adults were overweight in 2022.
There exists a paradoxical situation of malnutrition in India, in all its forms, which includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity. Undernutrition is responsible for half of the deaths of children under 5 and obesity can cause noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some cancers.
The Lancet study also found that 44 million women and 26 million men aged above 20 in India are obese. This is a huge increase since 1990 when 2.4 million women and 1.1 million men were found to be obese.
Why is India getting obese
The causes are obvious and attributed to lifestyle changes which have taken place in the past few years. According to the National Center for biotechnology information, “excessive consumption of white rice and a lack of physical activity contributes to the deposition of abdominal fat among South Asian people and India,being the largest country in South Asia, with 1.2 billion people, is believed to have an estimated 350 million people with obesity”.
Growing urban economy and easy accessibility to the food and more consumption of processed and dairy products and switching away from the traditional eating methods is also contributing to obesity which is alarming more because of lack of or no exercise regime, feels a nutritionist working at a leading wellness and weight loss clinic in Delhi.
Curbing obesity is important
“This new study highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity, and adequate care, as needed,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Getting back on track to meet the global targets for curbing obesity will take the work of governments and communities, supported by evidence-based policies from WHO and national public health agencies. Importantly, it requires the cooperation of the private sector, which must be accountable for the health impacts of their products”.
Obesity is a complex chronic disease. The causes are well understood, as are the interventions needed to contain the crisis, which are backed by strong evidence. However, they are not implemented. At the World Health Assembly in 2022 Member States adopted the WHO Acceleration plan to stop obesity, which supports country-level action through 2030. To date, 31 governments are now leading the way to curb the obesity epidemic by implementing the plan.
The core interventions are:
- actions to support healthy practices from day 1, including breastfeeding promotion, protection and support;
- regulations on the harmful marketing of food and beverages to children;
- school food and nutrition policies, including initiatives to regulate the sales of products high in fats, sugars and salt in proximity of schools;
- fiscal and pricing policies to promote healthy diets;
- nutrition labeling policies;
- public education and awareness campaigns for healthy diets and exercise;
- standards for physical activity in schools; and
- integration of obesity prevention and management services into primary health care.
“There are significant challenges in implementing policies aimed at ensuring affordable access to healthy diets for all and creating environments that promote physical activity and overall healthy lifestyles for everyone,” stated Dr Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Nutrition and Food Safety Department and one of the co-authors of the study. “Countries should also ensure that health systems integrate the prevention and management of obesity into the basic package of services.”
Addressing undernutrition requires multisectoral action in agriculture, social protection and health, to reduce food insecurity, improve access to clean water and sanitation and ensure universal access to essential nutrition interventions.
