It has been more than five years since humanity first came face toface with COVID-19 a global health pandemic that transformed how we live, work, and look after our health. Though the worst waves are behind us, COVID-19 did not vanish. It keeps changing, and periodic...
A recent ICMR study has shed light on a growing public health concern in India—20% of Indian households now have all adult members classified as overweight, while 10% have all adults considered obese. This trend is most prevalent in urban regions and southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, where lifestyle changes and dietary habits are rapidly evolving.
Obesity is commonly assessed through Body Mass Index (BMI). An adult is considered overweight if their BMI lies between 25 and 29.9, and obese if it exceeds 30. The issue is no longer individual but household-wide. In states like Manipur, Kerala, and Sikkim, over 30% of families fall into this category.
The study reveals a direct correlation between affluence and obesity. Alarmingly, 17.3% of wealthy households had all adults overweight, while Scheduled Tribes showed the lowest clustering at just 4.2%. This emphasizes how urbanization, sedentary jobs, and processed diets are influencing family-wide health. The data points to an urgent need for community-level awareness, preventive strategies, and lifestyle interventions.
This trend is particularly concerning given the known link between obesity and 13 different cancers, along with lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Experts stress the importance of early detection and family-based health counseling.
As India faces this mounting health challenge, it’s time for individuals and families to embrace active living, balanced nutrition, and routine health checkups. Promoting awareness and healthy habits at the household level is the first step in reversing this growing epidemic.