Obesity is rising at an alarming rate, impacting people across all age groups and increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases such as heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.
What is Obesity?
Obesity is defined as excessive or abnormal fat deposits (increasing size and number of fat cells) in the body.
A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is considered obesity, and a BMI over 25 is considered overweight.
BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kg by their height in meters.
According to the World Health Organisation, an optimal BMI for an individual is 18.9 to 24.9.
Key facts:
- Globally, the prevalence of obesity between 1992-2022 among persons aged 5 to 19 years with obesity increased from 2% to 8%.
- During the same period, persons aged 18 or older with obesity increased from 7% to 16%.
- In India, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 from 2019 to 2021, overall 24% of women and 23% of men are overweight or obese.
- In the category of ages 15-49 years, 6.4% of women and 4% of men are obese.
- The percentage of children who are overweight under the age of 5 years has increased from 2.1% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 3% in NFHS-5 (2019-21) at the all-India level.
Causes & risk factors:
- Lack of physical activity
- Sedentary lifestyle (long-term sitting for work or school)
- Intake of high-calorie, low-nutrient food
- Consumption of soft drinks and junk food
Preventive measures:
- Regular physical activity, at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dry fruits).
- Avoid long-term sitting, get up every 30 minutes, and walk for 3 minutes.