Escalating Obesity Epidemic: A healthcare concern
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: “To become a fit and healthy nation, we will have to deal with the problem of obesity” “By making small changes in our food, we can make our future stronger, fitter and disease - free. Without delay, we have to increase our efforts in this direction and implement it in our lives” –Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi The leader of the nation, Prime Minister of India, in one of his Mann Ki Baat episodes, expressed his concern about India’s rising obesity rates, quoting an alarming data from the World Health Organization (WHO), that in 2022, about 250 million people across the world were overweight, that is, they weighed much more than required. Further, highlighting the critical situation in nation, citing a study, he reported that “One in every eight people in India is affected by obesity.” He further revealed that the prevalence of obesity has doubled in recent years, with childhood obesity increasing fourfold. Since, the leader of the nation, himself has urged the people to adopt healthier lifestyle, one can understand the depth of the problem associated for overall social, and economic wellbeing of the nation. As a global epidemic, obesity has been identified as a major health concern, posing a threat to global health. Furthermore, obesity not only has a dreadful impact on the economies of nations but it is also associated with adverse health outcomes in people throughout their life course. Owing to increase in the predisposing risk factors such as sedentary lifestyles, rapid urbanization, and excessive consumption of processed foods high in calories or junk foods, at societal and personal roots, the rate of obesity has doubled or tripled in the past two or three decades, which is certainly adding to the burden of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), particularly cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Obesity is associated with a cascade of secondary comorbidities affecting multiple organs, resulting in hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, thrombosis, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, infertility (in women), erectile dysfunction (among men), risk of stillbirth, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and neoplasm (endometrial, breast, and colon).[1] In addition, the obese people are commonly the targets of social bias and discrimination, leading to variety of other psychological issues such as low self-esteem, loneliness and desolation, increased vulnerability to mood disorders, and depression.[2] OBESITY AND ALARMING STATISTICS According to the WHO estimates, 1 in 8 persons worldwide were obese in 2022, indicating a doubling of growth since 1990 in general and a quadrupling among adolescents.[3] The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased in every nation. As the incidence of obesity spreads outside of large metro and urban populations to smaller towns, suburbs, and rural areas, the same global trend is prevailing in India. It has been observed that 22.9% of men and 24% of women are overweight or obese as per the statistics generated by the National Family Health Survey_5 (2019-2021).[4] Furthermore, the rise in childhood obesity is a growing concern as it poses a greater risk as well as an earlier onset of chronic disorders in later life. As per the WHO estimates, 35 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight in 2024.[3] In India, the percentage of children under the age of 5 years who are overweight has increased from 2.1% to 3.4%.[4] Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease entity, with excessive adiposity impairing health and having varied determinants such as diet and lifestyle, especially consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, poor diet quality, physical inactivity, prolonged screen time, short sleep duration or shift based work, and built environment characteristics.[5] The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most often used metric for assessing obesity. According to WHO, obesity is BMI ≥30 kg/m² for adults and for school-aged children and adolescents, it is BMI >2 Standard deviations above the WHO Child Growth Standards median.[3] STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES The WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity focuses on evidence-based, cost-effective treatments that are tailored to the needs of each nation, including a variety of policies. To address the escalating obesity issue, it places a strong emphasis on incorporating tried-and-tested strategies with modifications to their delivery and impact. The plan calls for a more robust integration of obesity prevention and treatment into primary healthcare services, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It also outlines the need to combine multisectoral policies and actions, such as structural, fiscal, and regulatory actions, to create healthy food environments and make healthier food options available, accessible, and desirable.[6] In light of the growing obesity crisis, Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called on the country to reduce cooking oil consumption by 10% as a significant first step in the fight against obesity. He also emphasized the need for a national awareness campaign and for concerted efforts at the individual and societal levels in this regard.[7] In India, a number of steps and initiatives have been taken to prevent, lessen, and alleviate the obesity epidemic by means of interministerial and interdepartmental cooperation as well as a comprehensive strategy that integrates several areas of health, food safety, nutrition, and sports. To strengthen the infrastructure for screening, early detection, treatment, and referral, the Government of India has been carrying out the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke (NPCDCS) at the national, state, and district levels since 2010 under the National Health Mission. As part of its more recent programs, primary healthcare centers are conducting “population-based screening of common noncommunicable diseases.” As of April 2022, 682 district NCD clinics, 191 district cardiac care units, and 5408 community health center NCD clinics had been established.[8] The Ministry of Ayush (MoA) has implemented several programs to promote healthy weight reduction practices and fight obesity with Ayush interventions. With expert consultation from allopathy and Ayush experts at hospitals such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), and many other reputable hospitals, institutions, and organizations, the Ayush Research Councils are conducting a wide range of research using integrated clinical research protocols adopting Ayurvedic parameters and parameters of conventional biomedicines, focusing on diseases of national importance including obesity. The MoA has demonstrated remarkable engagement and active participation in addressing community health issues, particularly NCDs, under the National Rural Health Mission component. The “Integration of Ayush with NPCDCS” pilot project has been launched in six of the nation’s districts. In a pilot study conducted in Gaya, Bihar, Ayurveda treatment combined with lifestyle changes, Yoga, and allopathic antidiabetic medications has produced encouraging results with reported improved blood sugar levels among the participants, indicating the efficacy and potential of the integration of Ayush with NPCDCS for better outcomes in NCDs and obesity.[9] The actions taken so far by MoA represent a major step in establishing Ayush as a reliable and long-term remedy for health issues linked to lifestyle choices, such as obesity. The classics study/enlist obesity under different context of Santarpanajanya roga (~diseases due to excessive nourishment), Shleshma nanatmaja (~disorders due to Kapha dosha), etc.[10] There has been well_elaborated line of management and prevention for obesity, which includes pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. The Pathya-Apthaya (~wholesome and unwholesome) related diet and lifestyle regimen for healthy living has been discussed in classics, which may serve as preventive measure for obesity. Ayurveda principles of healthy living combined with personalized guidance and long-term commitment can be a powerful tool in preventing obesity. There are reported evidences on the efficacy of Ayurveda interventions, along with dietary and lifestyle modification, in conjunction with Yoga, offering promising, noninvasive, and affordable solutions to battle obesity.[11,12] Possibly, considering these evidences, during the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY); Hon'ble Prime Minister has once again called the nation to join his campaign against obesity, underscoring the necessity of incorporating yoga into daily life, reducing oil intake, and avoiding harmful dietary habits for better health.[13] Integrating Ayurveda with contemporary system of medicines and utilizing it to maximum through public health program may serve as an effective strategy for the prevention and management of obesity at the community level. There is a need to implement multi-sectoral actions, regulatory mechanisms, and legal frameworks amalgamating with evidence-based national action policies for its prevention and management. Ayurveda, with its preventive, holistic, and personalized principles, offers a valuable framework for addressing obesity not only at individual level but also as a public health strategy. Being rooted in cultural aspects of people, Ayurveda approaches may prove a sustainable and effective step in creating awareness about health and healthy lifestyle. Its strategic integration at community, national, and international level may offer a comprehensive approach to address the expanding epidemic of obesity. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
Author: Manjusha Rajagopala
Institution: All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412484783