About a fourth of men and women in India were either ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ in 2019-21, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2015-16, underscoring the rising health risk posed by obesity in the country. While the problem is prominent among women in most South Indian States, as well as in Delhi and Punjab, the rate of increase in obesity among men was faster. Moreover, less than a fifth of men and women in 2019-21 could be categorised as ‘thin’, a significant decline from the figures in 2015-16, according to data from the National Family Health Survey.
Last week, in his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against the rising obesity rates in India, particularly among children. He also advised people to reduce the intake of oil by 10% each month to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Increase in BMI
The average body mass index (BMI), which measures body fat relative to a person’s weight and height, is considered as a metric of obesity.
While the average BMI for Indian males increased by 0.6 points from 21.8 in 2015-16 to 22.4 in 2019-21, the corresponding rise in BMI for women was 0.5 points from 21.9 to 22.4 in the same period.
Chart 1 shows the gender-wise change in overweight and obesity levels in India based on BMI figures. Any person with a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 would be considered ‘overweight’ and an index above 30 would be considered ‘obese’.
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In 2015-16, 15.5% of women in India were overweight, and in 2019-21 these figures had risen to 17.6%. The rise in the share of men categorised as overweight was higher than women in the same period. Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the share of overweight men increased by three points from 15.9% to 18.9%. The share of obese women increased from 5.1% in 2015-16 to 6.4% in 2019-21, but the corresponding increase in obese men was by one point from 3% to 4%, during the same period.
Chart 2 shows the gender-wise change in mildly and moderately thin levels in India based on BMI figures. While a BMI between 17.0 and 18.4 is categorised as ‘mildly thin’, all figures under 17.0 are considered ‘moderately/severely thin’. The share of mildly thin women reduced from 13.3% in 2015-16 to 11% in 2019-21 and among men the reduction was from 12.2% to 9.6% in the same period. The share of moderately/severely thin women decreased from 9.6% to 7.7% between 2015-16 and 2019-21. The same figures for men declined to 6.6% from 8% in the same period.
Chart 3 shows the State-wise change in obesity and overweight levels among women. While the largest increase in these levels was seen in Delhi and Punjab, obesity among women from many southern States —including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana — were among the highest in the country.
Chart 4 shows the State-wise change in obesity and overweight levels among men. Again, Delhi features at the top of the list with the most obese and overweight men in the country. But so do men from the Southern States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
This rise in obesity corresponds with the continuing consumption of fried foods and aerated drinks among men and women. Over 40% of men and women recorded munching on fried foods in 2019-21. About 16% of women and 25% of men consumed aerated drinks during the same period.
Source: National Family Health Survey Reports (NFHS-4 and NFHS-5)
Kushal Varma J.V. is interning with The Hindu Data Team
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Published – March 04, 2025 08:00 am IST