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Abdominal obesity is surging in India, primarily driven by unhealthy diets and a sedentary lifestyle, according to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO) and now Principal Advisor for the Health Ministry’s tuberculosis program. Dr. Swaminathan emphasized the urgent need for accessible nutritious food and dedicated exercise spaces across the country to combat obesity, a rising global health concern linked to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.
“Abdominal obesity—driven by unhealthy diets and physical inactivity—is becoming an alarming trend in India,” Dr. Swaminathan shared in a post on X, calling for better public awareness and increased nutrition literacy. Citing a recent study on abdominal obesity published in The Lancet Regional Health, she highlighted the importance of targeted interventions to counter this epidemic.
Key Findings from NFHS-5 Data
The study, conducted by researchers from IIHMR University, Jaipur, and Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, utilized data from India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), carried out between 2019 and 2021. It measured waist circumference to assess abdominal obesity in 659,156 women and 85,976 men aged 15-49 years, marking the first time such a metric was used in a national survey.
Key findings include:
- Abdominal obesity affects 40% of women and 12% of men across India.
- Among women aged 30-49, an alarming 5 to 6 out of 10 are abdominally obese.
- The condition is notably prevalent among older women and those consuming non-vegetarian diets.
- Urban areas show higher obesity rates, yet rural areas are witnessing a rising trend, indicating that abdominal obesity is infiltrating all socioeconomic segments.
States such as Kerala (65.4%), Tamil Nadu (57.9%), Punjab (62.5%), and Delhi (59%) displayed the highest abdominal obesity prevalence, contrasting with lower rates in Jharkhand (23.9%) and Madhya Pradesh (24.9%).
A Dual Challenge of Malnutrition
The study highlighted India’s “double burden of malnutrition,” where sections of the population suffer from both undernutrition and obesity. This trend signifies an emerging health risk for Indian women and calls for nuanced health policies that address both ends of the nutritional spectrum.
Dr. Swaminathan and the research team urge policymakers to initiate targeted interventions, particularly for women in their thirties and forties who exhibit high abdominal obesity rates. The findings suggest that public health initiatives could be improved by expanding access to nutritious food, establishing safe spaces for physical activity, and implementing educational campaigns to foster better eating habits.
Moving Beyond BMI: A New Measure for Obesity
Traditionally, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been the primary measure of obesity in India. However, the NFHS-5 data indicates that even individuals with a “healthy” BMI can have abdominal obesity, highlighting the importance of waist circumference as a more accurate health metric.
This shift in measurement standards underscores the complex nature of obesity and suggests that healthcare policies should adopt multifaceted approaches to address the full scope of the issue.
As India faces a growing burden of NCDs, Dr. Swaminathan’s call to action signals the need for a comprehensive, community-centered approach to tackling abdominal obesity. The study’s authors recommend government intervention in providing equitable access to nutritious food and exercise spaces to help alleviate this pressing public health issue.
