In 2021, India reported the largest population of overweight and obese persons aged 15-24, with 1.68 crore males and 1.3 crore females, outpacing China, according to an extensive global obesity analysis by The Lancet.
The study revealed that the obesity crisis is expected to worsen, estimating that by 2050, 21.8 crore men and 23.1 crore women in India will be either overweight or obese. With a total of 44.9 crore individuals, it forecasts that almost one-third of the nation’s projected population will be obese.
The report titled ‘The Lancet’s Global Burden of Disease Study BMI Collaborators’ indicates that in 2021, 18 crore Indians were either overweight or obese, positioning India as the second-largest country worldwide, following China, which had a total of 40.2 crore. It states that by 2050, this figure in India will rise by 150 percent, reaching 45 crore.
Worldwide, a significant (121 percent) increase in obesity among youth is anticipated, with the overall count of children and adolescents affected by obesity expected to hit 36 crore by 2050 (an increase of 18.6 crore since 2021).
The research further emphasizes that India holds the second position in the count of overweight and obese children and adolescents aged 5-14, comprising 1.3 crore boys and 1.24 crore girls.
“The unmatched worldwide crisis of excess weight and obesity represents a significant tragedy and a major societal failure,” stated lead author Professor Emmanuela Gakidou from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, USA.
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The research utilized body mass index (BMI) for adults, commonly employed to monitor ongoing global patterns. For those over 18, being overweight was defined as having a BMI ranging from 25 to under 30, while obesity was classified as having a BMI of 30 or more. For persons under 18 years, definitions relied on criteria from the International Obesity Task Force.
In India, women aged 25 and older who are overweight and obese (9.84 crore) outnumbered men (8.5 crore).
The significant rises in obesity projected from 2022 to 2030 highlight the critical necessity for intervention.
