Context: The sprawling epidemic of overweight and obesity population in India, coupled with their economic and health consequences, seem to have drawn attention from the policymakers for recommendations against the ever-growing population.

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Current Status of Obesity in India

The current status of obesity in India is as given below:

• Epidemiological Transition: Obesity rates have significantly risen in India over the past two decades, with one in every four adults being obese.
• Health Risks: Overweight and obesity are associated with an estimated 3.4 million deaths annually worldwide.
• Geographic Variation: The proportion of overweight and obese individuals varies from 8% to 50% across different states and regions.
• Rise in Childhood Obesity: The incidence of childhood obesity in India has risen very steeply and is one of the highest in the world.
• Normalization by Society: Societally, obesity is largely considered a personal concern while alluding to the problems associated with it, declaring the matter rather as trivial.
• Economic Burden: Obesity costs India $28.95 billion annually, and is expected to grow, affecting both healthcare costs and productivity.
• Dietary Shift: The rise of low-cost, high-fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) foods and urbanization has exacerbated the problem.

Read the article on the Major Health issues in India!

Key Policy Recommendations to Tackle Obesity in India

Obesity in India can be tackled with the following measures:

• Promote Physical Activity: To enable people to exercise, urban infrastructure must be improved for cycling, parks, and gyms.
• Taxation on Unhealthy Foods: Impose a higher tax on HFSS and ultra-processed foods, with subsidies to encourage fruits and vegetables.
• Public Awareness Campaign: Start a national discussion framing obesity as a disease, linking it to other conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
• Evidence Generation: The research community must gather data on obesity to help shape the public health message.
• Health Check-ups: Make weight, height, and waist measurements part of routine health visits to raise awareness about optimal body weight.
• Anti-Obesity Medicines: Develop clinical guidelines for when and how to use anti-obesity medications.
• Integrated Interventions: Obesity prevention requires multiple ministry engagements (health, finance, education, agriculture, urban planning, and development) to work together.
• India's Nutrition Program: This needs a complete overhaul and will henceforth be called Suposhan Abhiyan, which should not only concentrate on feeding but also on mindful underfeeding and rightful micronutrient supplementation.

• Corporate Responsibility: The food sector, even online, must incentivize and inform the public about healthy diets.
• Workplace and School Initiatives: Promote awareness in workplaces and schools regarding healthy eating and weight management. The learnings from countries such as Japan, where dietitians are a part of every school network, should be explored.

Read the article on Preventive Healthcare!

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UPSC Practice Question

Obesity is not just a lifestyle issue but a complex public health challenge requiring multi-sectoral interventions. Analyse. (Ink in 150 words)