Lok Sabha Question No. 4750 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-28
Subject: Rising Cases of Obesity and Overweight
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Gaurav Gogoi, Dr. Sambit Patra

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4750 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH MARCH, 2025

## RISING CASES OF OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT

## 4750. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI: DR. SAMBIT PATRA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the recent Lancet study highlighting the alarming rise in obesity and overweight cases in the country particularly among children and adolescents and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the current status of national-level data on obesity and overweight prevalence across different age groups and regions;
- (c) the key factors contributing to such cases of rise, including dietary habits, lifestyle changes and urbanization;
- (d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address obesity, including public health campaigns, regulatory measures on processed and unhealthy foods and promotion of physical activity; and
- (e) whether the Government plans to introduce specific policies, such as stricter labelling laws, school-based interventions and taxation on sugary and ultra-processed foods, to curb this growing public health concern and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) According to the Global Nutrition Target Collaborators' analysis in 'The Lancet' (2025), the prevalence of obesity among boys in India increased from 0.46 crore in 1990 to 1.3 crore in 2021 and is projected to reach 1.6 crore by 2050. Among girls, it rose from 0.45 crore in 1990 to 1.24 crore in 2021, with a projection of 1.44 crore by 2050. The details of the study is available at:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39667386/

(b) As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), overall, 24% of Indian women and 23% of Indian men are overweight or obese. 3.4% of children under 5 years are overweight (weight-for-height). As per Indian Council of Medical Research's National NonCommunicable Diseases Monitoring Survey (2017-18), the prevalence of obesity among adults (18-69 years) is 6.2%.

(c) & (d) Unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles and environmental factors are key contributors to the rising prevalence of obesity. The increasing consumption of processed foods, reduced physical activity, and lifestyle changes have further intensified this growing crisis, affecting both urban and rural populations.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements Reproductive, Maternal, New born, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National Health Mission (NHM), which includes interventions to address nutrition among children including obesity across the country, as placed below:

i Eat Right Movement launched by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) aims to engage and enable citizens including children to improve their health and wellbeing by eating healthy and nutritious foods and creates public awareness that regular and excessive consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and fat leads to obesity.

ii The Government of India focuses on health promotion and awareness generation through countrywide movements like 'Fit India Movement' where people are encouraged to remain healthy and fit.

iii. The following activities for healthy living including physical activities are also promoted through the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD):

-  Promotion of wellness activities and targeted communications at the community level are undertaken under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Aarogya Mandir (AAM).
-  Yoga related activities are carried out by the Ministry of AYUSH.
-  Financial support for awareness generation activities (IEC) through print, electronic and social media under NP-NCD.
-  Health Melas are organized at each AAM to generate awareness about healthy lifestyles.

(e) Food Safety and Standards authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 prescribing requirement for labelling of packaged food. The Regulations requires display of nutrients and their contribution to Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) in percentage at the back of the pack as Nutritional Information to enable consumers to make informed choice. It is mandatory for Food Business Operators (FBOs) to label the food package in accordance with these Regulations.

FSSAI has also notified the Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Regulations, 2020. These regulations place a restriction on sale of foods High in Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) to school children in school canteens/mess premises/hostel kitchens or within 50 meters of the school campus and also a restriction on advertisement of such products in these areas. Regulations aim to encourage schools to adopt a comprehensive program for promoting Safe food and healthy diets amongst school children and to convert school campus into Eat Right School focusing safe and healthy food, local and seasonal food and no food waste as per specified benchmarks.

Moreover, FSSAI has systematically reduced trans-fat content in a phased manner, achieving a ≤2% cap on industrially produced trans fats by 2022. Aaj se Thoda Kam campaign encourages consumers to graduallyreduce their intake of fat, salt, and sugar through dietary modifications.

FSSAI has launched different socialmedia campaigns like - Har LabelKuch Kehta Hai, Fight Obesity, StopObesity etc. to promote food safetyconsciousness, healthy eating habitsand educate people about the adverseeffects of obesity.

Till now , more than 400 Eat RightMelas/Eat Right Millets Melas have been conducted throughout the country to generate awareness ofhealthier food options.Under Eat Right India initiatives,2209 Eat Right Campuses, 194 EatRight Strret Food Hub, 213 Eat RightStations and 2025 Eat Right Schoolhave been certified to ensure healthy,hygiene and safe food practices

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