A new study published by The Lancet journal has found that India could have over 440 million obese and overweight people by 2050. The global analysis has revealed that the number of overweight and obese adults by mid-century in India could be the second highest in the world, after China. The US, Brazil and Nigeria are expected to rank third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The finding by an international team of researchers reveals that 218 million men and 231 million women will be overweight and obese in India by 2050. Researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) were also part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021.
According to the study, already almost half the world's adults; a billion men and over a billion women aged 25 years and above, were overweight and obese in 2021. In India, the numbers were over nearly 180 million -- 81 million men and 98 million women.
However, by 2050, this number globally could rise to nearly 3.8 billion -- 1.8 billion men and 1.9 billion women -- "over half of the likely global adult population at that time", the authors said.
The researchers wrote, "While China, India and the USA will continue to constitute a large proportion of the global population with overweight and obesity, the number in the sub-Saharan Africa super-region is forecasted to increase by 254.8 per cent."
The researchers also estimated that about 16 million boys and over 14 million girls in India, aged 5-14 years, could be overweight and obese by 2050, making it the world's second highest after China.
However, in the 15-24 age group, the world's highest burden could come from India, with over 22 million men and nearly 17 million women in the country suffering from this health crisis in 2050.
Lead author Emmanuela Gakidou, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US, which coordinates the GBD study, said, "The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure."
The study, the "most comprehensive global analysis to date", could help governments and the public health community "identify priority populations experiencing the greatest burdens of obesity who require immediate intervention and treatment, and those that remain predominantly overweight and should be primarily targeted with prevention strategies", Gakidou said.
The latest estimates come against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a strong pitch for combating obesity in his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radiocast on February 23.
Obesity will have to be dealt with to be a fit and healthy nation, he said.
World Obesity Day is observed every year on March 4. The day aims to raise awareness about obesity, its causes and preventive measures. Obesity is not just increased fat in the body but it can cause several diseases which also include chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure among others.
Therefore, it is important that you take the necessary actions to prevent obesity as it can help prevent several other diseases.
(PTI inputs)
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