Childhood obesity surges 126 percent in India, signals growing health crisis

Health By Sumit Jha Mar 05, 2025 Read the article

Childhood obesity in India has skyrocketed by 126 percent over the past 15 years, jumping from 1.5 percent in 2005-06 to 3.4 percent in 2019-21, according to the latest NFHS-5.

[{"selector":"#anim-67047212-63ce-451b-b20b-0baac0b23399","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec1db4e9-c61e-40e5-a9c1-862f42b01e4c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3977e1c-1187-480c-a8c1-9812d815439b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d11df515-d063-4b7b-8b26-49764ad2fd3f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 100.52456%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7f2119ad-aa97-45c2-abb2-a4980ee197ae [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Health

The paper suggests that while most obesity estimates focus on adults, national-level data for children and adolescents remain limited.

[{"selector":"#anim-676d7518-3190-485d-b413-39e8e49a0300","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40328d0e-81c7-4371-bf8a-bcc44e3b8a6f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d28e6cb9-1098-4704-9a8d-93a0caea68a1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7a735df-e7a0-4dba-a0ce-16646afab280","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 147.44745%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d62496f-04ff-47a1-8c83-e24a8aae84aa [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(2.3684210807316255%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read the article Health

Experts are now calling for urgent, multi-sectoral action to address what they describe as a chronic disease threatening India’s future.

[{"selector":"#anim-1c9222e4-ab07-45f2-8ef1-ba256c03e367","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-263d8beb-1c2e-4d71-bd54-55742a21a756","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4a266021-f259-4d9a-9970-8b3dcc33a51c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fda052b8-d981-4229-a2e8-e09c21adb176","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 105.93313%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-feed2c5d-7528-437f-9115-646e24735046 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(62.74194010686711%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Health

The white paper revealed that 24 percent of women and 22.9 percent of men are obese, a sharp rise from two decades ago.

[{"selector":"#anim-2853a1c9-d134-4d75-9629-271583afb333","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-032ad423-fe2d-443c-adde-a2d5ca172c5f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eef74216-cc8f-491a-82db-f0c7c419cd0d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c89bc972-26df-461e-a1da-f7df4df1fd5e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 147.44745%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d620718f-0d9b-4004-bd50-1f00730274d3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(2.8647784093151643%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Read the article Health

Studies also revealed regional variations in obesity among South Indians, North Indians, and Northeast Indians, with differences in obesity’s impact on cardio-respiratory health.

[{"selector":"#anim-344c0150-4e7c-4643-af54-9ec3045d3dea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b6392f2-cf0b-4f6e-9770-1999452759c2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e2f98e6b-359f-4734-b1a0-781fdf74003a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0003a70b-4719-4302-b281-12ffe1987469","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 133.45887%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-61472980-a925-479d-af1c-2c8117aea7f2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.371753133717768%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Health

The report highlighted a lack of standardized treatment protocols, limited training for healthcare providers, and inadequate insurance coverage for interventions.

[{"selector":"#anim-698c98c9-59d9-405c-a97d-6a6b5617dfca","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5a066ba-ac63-4f38-80f2-de197bd25efd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 42.39646%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f70aa5f-d188-4416-b4bf-098906d97794","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e4069466-ee8c-451b-a182-b8c617113b5a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.12731%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3432fd7-561f-4910-b7f4-9de8da320501 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(41.78035417783911%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Read the article Health