Southern states hold the key to India’s fight against obesity

Sumit Jha

Jan 12, 2026

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Nearly one in four Indians in the 15 to 49 age group has excess weight, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted between 2019 and 2021.

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Women constitute 24 percent of the overweight or obese population, while men comprise 23 percent, marking a shift in the country’s nutritional landscape.

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The southern states and urban areas led an overweight surge accompanied by the full spectrum of metabolic complications.

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Puducherry recorded the highest proportion of overweight or obese women at 46 percent in the NFHS-5 data, positioning it at the top of India’s obesity burden.

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The findings revealed the southern states’ individual obesity burden matched or exceeded the same in rich countries.