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,...
Health of the Nation examines health policy and healthcare financing in India. Drawing on health economics, it tracks the systems, schemes, and data that shape how Indians access and pay for care: from PM-JAY and public health insurance to NFHS findings, social protection, and progress toward SDG3. Expect data-driven analysis of what works, what falls short, and where the money actually goes.