Overweight and obesity, the clock ticking in India? A secondary analysis of trends of prevalence, patterns, and predictors from 2005 to 2020 using the National Family Health Survey

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to reduce global obesity to 2010 levels by 2025 is threatened by the increasing number of overweight and obese Indians and country's population size. Objectives: This study was planned with the objectives to determine the trends of prevalence and predictors of overweight and obesity in India over one and a half decade (2005–2021) using the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) (3, 4, and 5) and probably first analysis to describe waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) as an indicator of obesity in large population. Methods: The outcome measures, for assessing overweight and obesity were the body mass index (BMI) by using WHO classifications (overweight/obese defined by BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Results: Our analysis showed that in the 15-year period, the repeated Indian NFHS recorded the combined prevalence of overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) among women (15 and 49 years) and men (15 and 49 years) increased from 12.6% to 24% and 9.3% to 22.9% respectively. All the northern, western, southern, eastern, and north-eastern states have shown a rise in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in males and females in NFHS-5 since NFHS-3. The rise in rural areas is appreciable much, in women from 8.6% (NFHS-3) to 19.7% (NFHS-5) and in men from 7.3% (NFHS-3) to 19.3% (NFHS-5). The highest WHR was observed among the women (both urban and rural) of Jammu and Kashmir followed by Ladakh. Conclusion: The results underline the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity and central obesity in both men and women across both urban and rural regions of India. Policymakers should timely have solutions for this growing problem to reduce burden on health-care system.