Rising obesity a concern, preventive measures must be taken for healthier lifestyle: Economic Survey
New Delhi, July 22
Raising concerns over growing obesity and increase of consumption of highly processed foods laden with sugars and fat, the Economic Survey said 54 per cent of the total disease burden in India is due to unhealthy diets.
Obesity presents a “concerning situation” and preventive measures must be taken to enable citizens to have a healthier lifestyle, it said.
“Obesity is emerging as a serious concern among India’s adult population,” said the Survey, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
If India needs to “reap the gains of its demographic dividend, it is critical that its population’s health parameters transition towards a balanced and diverse diet”, it said.
Citing a report from the Indian Council for Medical Research, the Economic Survey observed that the rise in consumption of highly processed foods laden with sugars and fat, coupled with reduced physical activity and limited access to diverse foods, exacerbate micronutrient deficiencies and overweight/obesity problems.
Estimates show that the adult obesity rate in India has more than tripled, and its rise in children is the steepest in the world for India, behind Vietnam and Namibia, the survey stated, referring to a World Obesity Federation report.
The survey further said as per National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the incidence of obesity is significantly higher in urban India than in rural India. In urban India, it is 29.8 per cent in men versus 19.3 per cent of rural India.
