Obesity Guidelines in India: What the New National Framework Means
Summary: In a first, obesity guidelines are being drafted by India, to focus on timely action, prevention and treatment, after the Hon’ble Prime Minister warned that obesity is a silent crisis in India.
The Prime Minister
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in his speech on Independence Day said that obesity is emerging as a “silent crisis” in India. He mentioned that if every family limited the use of cooking oil by 10%, the health of the nation will show a positive impact.
This has led to the Government to initiate the drafting of the first National Obesity Guideline to manage and treat obesity, which is showing signs of elevation in the nation.
The meetings
The Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) held a meeting with other officials of the health ministry and a host of famed nutritionists, endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons, diabetologists and other medico experts, to discuss the rise of obesity in India and how to combat it.
The Indian initiative
Indian doctors have always referred to the obesity guidelines as laid down by WHO. This is the first initiative where India is drafting its own obesity guidelines. This initiative entails creation of an Indian database, expansion of National Family Health Surveys, improving assessments/diagnosis, enhanced prevention, better treatments and management procedures.
The fetish of weight - loss
The art of weight loss is on a high. Overweight individuals are resorting to weight reducing drugs that are imitations of gut hormones like GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists, that suppress the appetite and slow down the digestive process, thereby leading to weight loss.
The guidelines will also mention how weight reducing drugs should be used under medical supervision only.
The statistics
Obesity has seen a steady growth in the past few years, in both rural and urban areas. Statistics as per NFHS-5 (2019-21) show that 24% women and 23% men are overweight or obese, while the statistics of overweight children (aged less than five years) has risen considerably from 2.1% to 3.4%.
The benchmark
The waist circumference is a measure of weight as introduced by NFHS-5. It accounts for 40% men and 12% men who are diagnosed with abdominal obesity. BMI alone cannot be the benchmark to check obesity in individuals.
Abdominal obesity
Abdominal obesity is highest in Kerala that accounts for 65.4%, followed by Punjab (62.5%), Delhi (59%) , Tamil Nadu (57.9%), Jharkhand (23.9%), Madhya Pradesh (24.9%).
Abdominal obesity is a result of advancing age, high income and non-vegetarian meals.
Conclusion
With time come many changes. There is anticipation that the new Obesity guidelines will be framed and put into effect soon. Gradually, the citizens are becoming aware of the importance of good health, leading them to make appropriate health choices for a healthy and good life. Why go under the knife if you can control yourself to eat clean and manage your weight? Will power plays a strong part here as well as time and patience. Why rely on medications and invite complications when you can discipline yourself?
Take a bit of belief, add a dash of time, patience, will power and consistency and see how you can effectively manage your weight and avoid any other health complications.
Always seek the advice of your medical practitioner / nutritionist/ dietician before making any dietary and lifestyle modifications. Do not rely on online-programme-made data / hacks to lose weight. It can prove dangerous.
Inputs from various media sources.
- Health News and Updates
- 9 September 2025
- 18:00
