Obesity in India: The weight of the nation

Abstract

India is gaining weight. Traditionally known for malnutrition, Indians now report more and more frequently with overweight, obesity, and their consequences. Indians exhibit unique features of obesity: Excess body fat, abdominal adiposity, increased subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat, and deposition of fat in ectopic sites (such as liver, muscle, and others). Obesity is a major driver for the widely prevalent metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although this phenomenon is a global one, India is unique in that it has to grapple with both over- and undernutrition at the same time. This article reviews the weight of the problem of obesity in India.