One in four adults obese, costing country $29 bn/yr

India could be facing one of its defining health and economic challenges. With one in four Indian adults now obese, a new report notes that obesity and related chronic diseases account for a growing share of the country’s health burden, costing the economy an estimated $28.9 billion annually.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has published a white paper, “Building on Success to Secure India’s Future Health”, setting out a bold vision for how India can further strengthen its drive on preventive health.

The report asserts that India has the foundations to lead globally on prevention. One area where the country appears set to take the lead is in anti-obesity medications (AOMs). These drugs could be game-changing for the prevention agenda, but for now, while highly effective, most remain prohibitively expensive, the report says.

It points out that obesity and associated long-term conditions lead to higher rates of premature mortality, absenteeism and presenteeism (reduced on-the-job performance). These effects, in turn, result in falling productivity, reduced GDP and lower tax revenues.

“With strong digital infrastructure, a growing network of primary-care centres and world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, the country can move faster than others to build a prevention-first health system,” the report adds.

The report calls for four key actions — strengthening food-environment regulation to reduce consumption of high-fat, sugar and salt products; scaling digital risk screening across platforms like Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and e-Sanjeevani; introducing digital incentives for healthy behaviours through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM); and preparing affordable anti-obesity drugs.

Dr Anoop Misra, chairman, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, and director, National Diabetes Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation (NDOC), said, “Obesity in Indians behaves differently. It is more inflammatory and metabolically disruptive. Even at lower body mass index (BMI), Indians develop high blood sugar much earlier. The pattern of fat deposition is also distinct, with excess abdominal and visceral fat emerging as the most dangerous form.”