The fifth National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, provides extensive insights on population, health and nutrition at the country and state/union territory level and even the estimates at the district level. The survey touches on over 130 parameters across 21 sub-categories, with some specific to women and children and others aimed at a broader population. It also provides a comparison of the performance of the urban and rural population. For the first time, the sex ratio of the total population (females per 1,000 males) crossed the four-figure mark. It stood at 1,020 females per 1,000 males vis-à-vis 991 in NFHS-4 conducted in 2015-16. This is a significant achievement and success of the government measures against the practice of female infanticide. A major contribution towards this achievement is the enactment of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT) Act, 1994, which prohibits sex selection and the mi...
In his monthly Mann Ki Baat address of February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concerns over the increasing incidence of obesity in the country. The PM highlighted the incidence of rising obesity in the country is not just impacting adults but is even more pronounced among children. In fact, the rate of obesity growth in children is twice that of adults. Let us try and understand why the incidence of obesity is a cause of concern. What is Obesity According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A person is considered obese if the Body Mass Index (BMI) is over 30. Incidence of Obesity in India According to a study published in the journal of Annals of Neurosciences in 2021, the prevalence of obesity in India was 40.3 per cent. In other words, two out of five people in India are obese. A 2024 Lancet study classified India as the third most obese nation behind the US and China,...