India will become an obesity hotspot by 2050!

Why in the NEWS?

• According to a study by The Lancet, by 2050, 3.8 billion adults (half the world’s adult population) and 746 million children and adolescents (one-third) will be overweight or obese.

Key Points:

• Obesity and overweight have become a global epidemic, and India is no exception to this serious health crisis.
• As of 2021, nearly 2.1 billion people, about 45% of the global population, were reported to be obese or overweight.
• Almost half of these people were found in just eight countries: 
  • China (402 million), 
  • India (180 million), 
  • USA (172 million), 
  • Brazil (88 million), 
  • Russia (71 million), 
  • Mexico (58 million), 
  • Indonesia (52 million), and 
  • Egypt (41 million)
• By 2021, India had overtaken China in the number of overweight and obese adolescents aged 15–24 years.
• By 2050, India may have the second-highest number of overweight and obese people globally.
• India, which is already grappling with this problem, could be further affected in the coming years.

What will you read next in this topic?

• How is obesity defined?
• Effects of obesity
• Causes of obesity
• Measures to tackle obesity

How is obesity defined?

• Obesity is primarily identified using the Body Mass Index (BMI), a widely accepted measure that assesses a person's weight in relation to their height.
  • A person is classified as obese if their BMI exceeds 30.
  • A person is considered overweight if their BMI falls between 25 and 30.
  • For children and adolescents (ages 5-17), BMI is evaluated based on age- and gender-specific percentile charts to determine overweight and obesity status.

Additional Measures of Obesity

• While BMI is a key indicator, it has limitations in assessing overall body composition. Therefore, other measures are often used:
• Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR):
• A higher WHR indicates excessive abdominal fat, which is linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• WHR above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women is considered unhealthy.
• Waist Circumference (WC):
• Central obesity is determined if waist circumference exceeds 102 cm (40 inches) for men and 88 cm (35 inches) for women.
• Body Fat Percentage:
• Uses methods like DEXA scans, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and skinfold measurements to assess fat levels more accurately.
• Visceral Fat Levels:
• Measures the fat surrounding internal organs, which is linked to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hypertension.

Effects of obesity

• The growing problem of obesity can lead to many serious health and social problems:
• Effects on children and adolescents: It can push future generations towards overweight and obesity.
• Health problems: Diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and cancer can occur prematurely.
• Effects on older people: Obesity-related diseases will increase in older age, putting a greater burden on health services.
• Effects on mental health: People suffering from obesity can suffer from depression, anxiety and self-esteem problems.
• Risk of infections and other diseases: People with obesity are more vulnerable to serious infections and other diseases.
• Economic impact: Obesity-related diseases are costly to treat, increasing the economic burden on health services.
• Malnutrition and obesity: In low- and middle-income countries, obesity is often associated with childhood malnutrition, which increases health problems.

Causes of obesity

• Several factors are responsible for the obesity epidemic:
• Dietary changes: Higher intake of high-calorie foods, high in sugar and fat.
• Ultra-processed foods: Market control by multinational companies, leading to unhealthy options replacing traditional healthy foods.
• Lack of physical activity: Urbanisation and technological advances have reduced people's mobility.
• Increasing screen time: Increasing use of mobile, TV and video games has reduced physical activity among children and young people.
• Weak government policies: Lack of effective policies and regulations to tackle obesity.
• Genetic causes: Some people may also have genetic causes of obesity.

Measures to tackle obesity

• The following steps should be taken to tackle the problem of obesity:
• Strengthening local food systems: Promote traditional food systems by preventing the dominance of large food corporations.
• Investment in government and health services: Prioritize diagnosis and treatment of obesity and related diseases.
• National policy making: Formulate obesity control strategies at the national level.
• Education and awareness: Promote healthy diet and physical activity in schools and communities.
• Special focus in low-income countries: Research and development of intervention strategies in low-income countries to tackle obesity.
• New regulations and tax policy: Tax sugary drinks and junk food and make healthier foods accessible.
• Use of new anti-obesity drugs: Increase access to new drugs such as semaglutide and terzapatide, which can make treatment more effective.