New Delhi, October 27 (IANS). Former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization, Soumya Swaminathan, said that obesity is continuously increasing in India due to unbalanced diet and physical inactivity.
Swaminathan is currently the Principal Advisor to the Tuberculosis Program of the Health Ministry. He also made people aware about obesity.
At present, obesity has become a matter of concern in the world.
Non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cancer are becoming serious challenges to global health. These diseases are increasing in India due to changes in lifestyle, diet, lack of physical activity and stress.
“Obesity is on the rise due to unhealthy diet and physical inactivity,” Swaminathan said in his post.
“We need more awareness, nutrition knowledge, healthy food choices and exercise,” he said, citing a new study on abdominal obesity in The Lancet Regional Health journal.
The study, led by researchers from IIHMR University, Jaipur, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in the US, is based on data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21.
Abdominal obesity is more common in women (40 percent) than men (12 percent).
About five-six out of 10 women between the ages of 30 and 49 suffer from abdominal obesity.
Abdominal obesity is more common in elderly women and non-vegetarian women. At the same time, it is common in urban areas.
Studies have shown that it is increasing even in rural areas and it is also affecting the people of lower and middle income group of the society.
BMI has traditionally been used to measure obesity in India. For the first time, NFHS-5 assessed abdominal obesity through waist circumference of 6,59,156 women and 85,976 men (aged between 15 to 49 years).
Furthermore, studies have also shown malnutrition as a serious problem in the country.
The researchers urged the government to “make special plans for those with high abdominal obesity, especially women aged 30 to 40.”
–IANS
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