India and Obesity: SMSRC Insights Report reveals the weight of opportunity

PNN

New Delhi [India], December 3: India stands at an inflexion point in its battle with obesity. For many years, obesity remained peripheral to mainstream clinical focus, overshadowed by diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory illness. New real-world evidence from the latest "SMSRC Insights" Report (a data-based research study), based on aggregated and de-identified data on prescription behaviour from nearly 10,700 OPD-practising physicians across Tier 1 to Tier 3 cities, shows that this situation is changing rapidly.

Obesity is positioning itself as one of the most significant chronic diseases of the next decade. It is redefining patient demographics, influencing how physicians prescribe, and altering the trajectory of therapeutic markets across India. It now sits at the centre of the country's chronic disease landscape, necessitating healthcare professionals to recognise the scale of this shift.

Leading published studies on prevalence estimated that approximately 7.4 crore Indians live with obesity, which represents approximately 5% of the population. This burden is projected to rise to 18.5 crore over the next 15 years, bringing the national prevalence to 11.5%. With obesity growing at 15% annually, the consequences for outpatient care will be substantial. However, current treatment levels do not reflect this reality.

The SMSRC Insights Report reveals that only 31.6 lakh obese individuals are under active OPD management/treatment every year. This significant mismatch between prevalence and treatment represents a major opportunity for early intervention as well as a serious risk that co-morbidities would deepen if obesity continues to be underdiagnosed.

The SMSRC Insights Report also reveals a major shift in the demographic pattern of obesity. Women still constitute a larger share of diagnosed cases, but diagnoses among men are rising at a faster pace. Younger adults below 40 comprise the highest share of only-obesity cases, suggesting that weight gain is beginning earlier in life and may precede the onset of metabolic disease. Among adults aged 41 to 60, obesity is far more closely tied to co-morbidities that include diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, fatty liver disease and hypothyroidism. Obesity with co-morbidities today is the larger cohort, with approximately 96% of total labelled obesity as a provisional diagnosis on Rx. This reflects the natural evolution of obesity into a multisystem disorder that requires coordinated and sustained care once it advances.

Further, obesity management traditionally was thought to be primarily the domain of endocrinologists or nutrition-focused practitioners. However, SMSRC's real-world data contradict this assumption. Diabetologists, Cardiologists, Gastroenterologists, Nephrologists, Chest Physicians and Consulting Physicians are the highest contributors to the diagnosis and treatment of obesity linked with several key co-morbidities treated by them. This trend indicates that obesity is no longer just a metabolic issue but also a direct threat to cardiovascular, renal and respiratory health and other associated comorbidities.

Orthopaedics and Gynaecologists also feature prominently due to the prevalence of osteoarthritis and hypothyroidism andPCOS/PCOD, respectively, among obese patients. Aneesh Mitra, President, SMSRC, says: "Over time, this therapy might expand into prescriptions of many other specialty segments such as Dermatologists for cosmetic indications or Psychiatrists for anxiety- or depression-related obesity. However, this would depend on how effectively the scientific concept of obesity treatment is established with real-world evidence studies and how the probable side effects of GLP-1 therapies are managed.

The SMSRC Insights Report outlines the magnitude of the opportunity of obesity linked with co-morbid diseases across physician segments for the first time in India, a key insight that would aid in shaping long-term strategies for healthcare providers tackling or seeking to tackle the anti-obesity market in India.

India is also experiencing a strong uptake of modern anti-obesity medications, especially GLP-1 receptor agonists (Tirzepatide and Semaglutide injectables). These therapies are redefining obesity care by delivering meaningful and sustained weight loss and improving glycaemic control. The Insights Report finds a significant rise in prescriptions for GLP-1 therapies and lipase inhibitors since May/June 2025. At the same time, more established therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors and Metformin (remains steady) continue to play an important role, given their added benefits of being weight-neutral or resulting in modest weight loss in diabetic patients. The cost differential, however, remains significant. While Metformin may cost as little as ₹72 per month, injectable anti-obesity agents range from just under ₹11,000 to more than ₹16,000, depending on the dosage.

These high-cost treatments are currently prescribed to a relatively small proportion of obese patients, though their chronic usage and growing acceptance are providing a strong tailwind to overall market expansion. Further, once Semaglutide (injectables and orals) loses exclusivity, the entry of low-cost generics would dramatically expand access to even smaller cities and semi-urban markets. India's experience in diabetes treatment shows that when prices fall, both prescriber support and patient adoption rise quickly. Based on past case studies of similar loss of exclusivity (LoE) in the IPM, SMSRC recommends that incumbents consider price rationalisation strategies when generics enter the market to retain leadership during what is likely to be an intensely competitive and expanding post-LoE phase.

The future of obesity therapy will also be shaped by strong consumer interest. The Insights Report notes that demand will be driven not only through prescriber support, but also by consumer pull (OTx), in line with other high-impact lifestyle therapies in which consumer enthusiasm initially outpaced clinical readiness. Much would depend on the extent of price cuts and whether there is a sudden massification of GLP-1 therapy, which might limit the therapy concept-building processes and ultimately dilute the overall perception of Semaglutide among specialist prescribers, leading to early stagnation of prescription growth.

Thus, doctors could take a more measured approach as they work to align patient expectations with scientific evidence and safety requirements. This increases the responsibility on healthcare professionals to strengthen patient counselling frameworks and to counter misinformation, especially as the therapy categories gain visibility. Taken together, the SMSRC Insights Report illustrates that obesity has a huge opportunity to be treated vis-a-vis current prevalence rates and is emerging as a key clinical and public health challenge. It shows a disease burden rising far more rapidly than diagnosis, a therapy landscape changing faster than ever, and a health system that will require deeper coordination across specialties.

For a detailed and in-depth strategic view of where obesity care stands today and where it is headed over the next decade, read the complete Insights Report.

Disclaimer: This press release is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult a doctor before taking any decisions.

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