New Delhi:

Researchers from ICMR-National Institute for Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), TERI School of Advanced Studies and Symbiosis International University analysed data from the fifth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults aged 15–54 years in over 6 lakh households.

This study has identified clusters of overweight and obesity at the household level in India. Individuals living in these clusters face a higher risk of developing non-communicable disease (NCDs) in the future if timely interventions are not implemented, the study revealed.The study found nearly 20 per cent of the households had all adult members classified as overweight, while 10 per cent of households had all adults classified as obese.

The study encompassed 636,699 households and 761,885 individuals. Households were categorised based on the presence of overweight or obese members, and multilevel logistic regression was used to evaluate variations at the household, community, district, and regional levels.Among the households belonging to the richest wealth quintile, one in four had all members overweight, and 17.3 per cent had all members classified as obese.

 In states like Manipur, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim over 30 per cent of households had all adults overweight where as in Tamil Nadu and Punjab, two out of every five households had all adults classified as obese, revealed a new study. The clustering of overweight and obesity within households, particularly in southern states, among affluent populations, and in urban settings, underscores the importance of family-centred approaches to obesity prevention and intervention.

"The proportion of households with all obese members was nearly twice as high in urban areas compared to their rural counterparts. Households belonging to Scheduled Tribes reported the lowest proportion of households with all members classified as obese, at only 4.2 per cent, while households belonging to forward (others) social groups recorded the highest proportion, at 12.2 per cent," said the lead researcher from ICMR-NICPR Prashant Kumar Sing.

Overweight and obesity are major global public health concerns and are projected to be among the most significant future threats to public health.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, 2.5 billion adults were overweight, and 890 million were obese. The number of obese individuals alone is expected to reach one billion globally by 2030.The four-fold increase in obesity worldwide over less than half a century has raised serious concerns, with low - and middle-income countries—especially India—contributing to 15 per cent of the global burden.

The prevalence of overweight or obesity in India is projected to reach 41 per cent for women and 40 per cent for men by 2040. Obesity is not only a significant health hazard on its own but also a major risk factor for numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, obstructive sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.

Alongside the alarming rise in prevalence, it is estimated that around 2.8 million people globally die each year due to being overweight or obese.

The phenomenon of nutrition transition—characterised by the adoption of urban lifestyles, unhealthy dietary habits, limited physical activity, and increased use of tobacco and alcohol—has significantly contributed to the rapid escalation of obesity rates.However, this global nutritional transition has unevenly impacted developing countries, where a double burden of overnutrition and under-nutrition exists.

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