According to a recent investigation published in The Lancet, a staggering 70% of India's urban populace falls into the overweight category, signaling a profound obesity dilemma. India currently occupies the third position globally for obesity rates, trailing only the United States and China. Recent statistics indicate that roughly 8 crore Indians contend with obesity, with an alarming 1 crore of these individuals aged between 5 and 19 years.
The escalation in obesity prevalence has inevitably led to a surge in demand for weight-loss surgeries, with figures reaching approximately 20,000 procedures conducted in 2019 alone. Health professionals are urgently advocating for immediate lifestyle modifications to tackle this pressing public health challenge.
A recent indian study reveals a concerning double burden of malnutrition among Indian adolescents. While undernutrition (stunting and thinness) remains a significant challenge, a concerning percentage also experience overnutrition, with obesity affecting 1.1% and overweight affecting 4.8%. This highlights the urgent need for comprehensive nutritional interventions targeting this vulnerable population.
Dr. Abhishek Katakwar, a distinguished bariatric and metabolic surgeon based in Hyderabad, highlighted that the findings categorize India among the top ten nations experiencing significant obesity challenges. The report, executed by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, underscores that around 80 million individuals in India are classified as obese, with 30 million adults demonstrating characteristics linked to obesity-related complications, including excess body fat and abdominal fat deposition.
Dr. Abhishek Katakwar highlighted a concerning trend of rising obesity rates, indicating a growing need for more frequent weight-loss surgeries as a viable treatment approach. The report underscores that obesity represents just one facet of malnutrition, with underweight conditions representing the opposite end of the spectrum. Both obesity and malnutrition can significantly affect crucial organs like the heart and liver, increasing the susceptibility of individuals to a range of health complications.
India's landscape of malnutrition has evolved markedly from 1990 to 2022. While the proportion of underweight women diminished by about 30%, affecting 6.1 crore women initially, the obesity rates surged by 9% among women, resulting in 4.4 crore obese women, and 5% among men, culminating in 2.6 crore obese men. Alarmingly, within the 5-19 age group, around 0.7 crore boys and 0.5 crore girls are identified as obese.
Global analyses reveal even graver statistics, indicating that childhood and adolescent obesity rates reached four times higher in 2022 than in 1990. In India, the prevalence of obesity escalated from 1.2% in 1990 to 9.8% for women and 0.5% to 5.4% for men by 2022.
The year 2019 witnessed approximately 20,000 weight-loss surgeries, a dramatic increase from a mere 800 surgeries a decade earlier. The Indian government has also taken progressive steps by covering obesity surgery costs for its three million employees, enhancing accessibility for many.
This global trend signifies a serious public health concern, especially with three in ten schoolchildren categorized as obese, a trend that has intensified in India post-COVID-19.
Experts stress an urgent requirement for transformative lifestyle shifts, dietary changes, and consistent physical activity to reverse this alarming trend.
Furthermore, a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report brought to light that over one billion people worldwide are now classified as obese, surpassing those who are underweight. This rapid rise in obesity rates presents a dual burden alongside malnutrition and raises red flags regarding the early onset of chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and kidney diseases. Challenges also remain in accessing affordable obesity medications, adding to the complexities of tackling this global epidemic.
Reference:
Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults
. Phelps, Nowell H et al. The Lancet, Volume 403, Issue 10431, 1027 - 1050
Pandurangi, Raghavendra & Mummadi, Mahesh Kumar & Challa, Sairam & Reddy, Samarasimha & Khadar Babu, Chinta & Telikicherla, Usha & Pullakandham, Raghu & Geddam, JJ Babu & Hemalatha, Rajkumar. (2022). Burden and Predictors of Malnutrition Among Indian Adolescents (10–19 Years): Insights From Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey Data. Frontiers in Public Health. 10. 877073. 10.3389/fpubh.2022.877073.
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