Question : Obesity in India

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any study to understand the problem of obesity in India;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether unhealthy foods and nonalcoholic beverages are the major factors for obesity in the children in developing world and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government plans to create a data of obesity-related deaths in India and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to create awareness among people in the country?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH
AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)
(a) & (b) Indian Council of Medical Research has carried out three comprehensive nutrition surveys in India;

i. in tribal population in 10 states (2008-09),
ii. in rural population in 10 states (2011-12), and
iii. in urban population in 16 states (2014-15).

Indian Council of Medical Research also carried out a Task Force study entitled ‘Childhood obesity in India: a multi-centric study on its measurement and determinants’ in 3 regions of the country i.e., New Delhi (by AIIMS), Hyderabad (by NIN) and Shillong (By NEIGRIHMS), Meghalaya (2013-15).
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The main findings of the surveys are summarized below:
i) Tribal surveys (2008-09) revealed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity was about 1% among children aged 6-17 years and it was 3% among adults (=18 years)

ii) Rural surveys (2011-12) in 10 major states of India reported the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 1-2% among 6-17years children and it was 12% among adults (=18 years). However, there were regional and gender differentials observed.

iii) Urban survey data of (2014-15) on Childhood obesity data analysis is in progress.

Other sporadic studies carried out among urban children and adolescents in India in different parts of the country have revealed that the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was 10-32%.

(c): National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad conducted a study entitled ‘Assessment of consumption of carbonated water beverages and its ill effects on urban Adolescents and young adults’. The study revealed that the quantity of consumption of carbonated (non-alcoholic) beverages is very low compared to the consumption in developed countries and its effect on gain in body weight was also insignificant.

(d) & (e): The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) was launched in 2010, in this regard.

The programme is being implemented in 20,000 Sub-Centres and 700 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in 100 Districts across 15 States/UTs with the following objectives:

- Promoting healthy lifestyle including healthy food habits through massive health education and mass media efforts,
- Opportunistic screening of persons above the age of 30 years,
- establishment of Non Communicable Disease (NCD) clinics at CHC and district level, and
- development of trained manpower and strengthening of tertiary level health facilities to handle the ever increasing burden of NCDs.

It is aimed to screen about 7 crores adult population (30 years & above) for obesity, diabetes and hypertension and to initiate treatment at early stages. Under the programme, so far 1.76 crore persons aged 30 years and above were already covered.
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