Economic Survey 2024: ‘Rising obesity a concern, 56% of total disease burden due to unhealthy diet’

The Economic Survey has raised concerns over growing obesity and increase of consumption of highly processed foods laden with sugars and fat. The survey said 56.4 per cent of the total disease burden in India is due to unhealthy diets.

“The Indian Council for Medical Research, in its latest Dietary Guidelines for Indians published in April 202415, estimates that 56.4 per cent of the total disease burden in India is due to unhealthy diets,” it said.

Obesity presents a “concerning situation” and preventive measures must be taken to enable citizens to have a healthier lifestyle, it said.

“Obesity is emerging as a serious concern among India’s adult population,” said the Survey, which was tabled on Monday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.

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“Estimates show that the adult obesity rate in India has more than tripled, and the annual rise in children’s is the steepest in the world for India, behind Vietnam and Namibia, according to the World Obesity Federation.”

“The National Family Health Survey, 2019-2021 presents a very penetrating portrait of the health status of India’s population. If India needs to reap the gains of its demographic dividend, it is critical that its population’s health parameters transition towards a balanced and diverse diet,” it said

Citing the ICMR report, the Economic Survey observed that the rise in consumption of highly processed foods laden with sugars and fat, coupled with reduced physical activity and limited access to diverse foods, exacerbate micronutrient deficiencies and overweight/obesity problems.

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The survey further said as per National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the incidence of obesity is significantly higher in urban India than in rural India. In urban India, it is 29.8 per cent in men versus 19.3 per cent of rural India.

The percentage of men facing obesity in the 18-69 age bracket has increased to 22.9 per cent in NFHS-5 from 18.9 per cent in NFHS-4. For women, it has increased from 20.6 per cent (NFHS-4) to 24 per cent (NFHS-5).

“Combined with an ageing population in some states, obesity presents a concerning situation. Preventive measures must be taken to enable citizens to have a healthier lifestyle,” the survey said.

In some states, such as in the NCT (Delhi), the proportion of women with obesity is 41.3 per cent, as against 38 per cent for men.

In Tamil Nadu, for men, obesity is 37 per cent and it is 40.4 per cent for women.

In Andhra, it is 36.3 per cent for women while for men it is 31.1 per cent.

(With agency inputs)