Why Indians need to shed weight for the developed economy goal

If Indians don’t lose weight, they will have to give up on becoming a developed nation, a long-term goal set by the government. The Indian economy has experienced strong growth and it is widely argued that now is its time to shine. Demographic bonusand a large young population that could lead to significant productivity gains at a time when the populations of many developed countries are ageing. But the Economic Survey 2023-24 released today warns that India will not reap the benefits of its demographic shift unless its citizens stay healthy.

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“For India to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend, it is crucial that the nation’s health indicators move towards a balanced and diverse diet,” the study said. The major health challenges identified in the study were: obesity.

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“Obesity has emerged as a serious problem among the adult population in India. National Family Health Survey “According to the 5th edition of the National Health Service (NFHS)-5, the proportion of men aged 18-69 years suffering from obesity has increased from 18.9 per cent in NFHS-4 to 22.9 per cent in NFHS-5. Among women, it has increased from 20.6 per cent (NFHS-4) to 24.0 per cent (NFHS-5),” it said.

How many obese people are there in each state?

The Economic Survey 2023-24 shows the spatial distribution of obesity problem in India based on NFHS-5 and NFHS-4 and lists obesity figures for each state.

In Tamil Nadu, it is 37.0% for males (28.2% in NFHS-4) and 40.4% for females (30.9% in NFHS-4).

in Uttar PradeshAmong women, it rose from 16.5% (NFHS-4) to 21.3% (NFHS-5) and among men, it rose from 12.5% ​​(NFHS-4) to 18.5% (NFHS-5).

In Kerala, it rose from 32.4% (NFHS-4) to 38.1% (NFHS-5) for women and from 28.5% (NFHS-4) to 36.4% (NFHS-5) for men.

In West Bengal, for women it rose from 19.9% ​​(NFHS-4) to 22.7% (NFHS-5) and for men it rose from 14.2% (NFHS-4) to 16.2% (NFHS-5).

In Karnataka, there has been an increase of 7 percentage points for women (30.1% vs. 23.3%) and around 9 percentage points for men (30.9% vs. 22.1%) compared to NFHS-4.

In Andhra, the figure for women is 36.3% (33.2%), but for men the figure drops to 31.1% (33.5%).

The percentage of overweight women and men in Telangana is 30.1% and 32.3%, respectively, which increased from 28.6% for women to 24.2% for men in NFHS-4.

In Maharashtra, while for women it remained the same at 23.4% across NFHS-4 and NFHS-5, for men it rose from 23.8% (NFHS-4) to 24.7% (NFHS-5).

In Madhya Pradesh, it rose from 13.6% (NFHS-4) to 16.6% (NFHS-5) among women and from 10.9% (NFHS-4) to 15.6% (NFHS-5) among men.

In Jharkhand, it rose from 10.3% (NFHS-4) to 11.9% (NFHS-5) for women and from 11.1% (NFHS-4) to 15.1% (NFHS-5) for men.

In Bihar, it rose from 11.7% (NFHS-4) to 15.9% (NFHS-5) for women and from 12.6% (NFHS-4) to 14.7% (NFHS-5) for men.

In NCT (Delhi), the proportion of obese women is 41.3% (men are 33.5%) and the proportion of obese men is 38.0% (men are 24.6%).

Obesity is more prevalent in urban areas of India

A quick review of the data at the all-India level reveals that, as per NFHS5, the incidence of obesity is significantly higher in urban India than in rural areas (29.8% vs. 19.3% in men and 33.2% vs. 19.7% in women).

In some states, the population is aging and obesity is a growing concern.
Help people lead healthier lifestyles. It is worth noting here that the NFHS-5 survey coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, restrictions on outdoor activities and lockdowns may have further entrenched a sedentary lifestyle, which may have further increased obesity rates in NFHS-5. If this trend reverses in NFHS-6, it will be a healthy sign.

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