What has lead to the obesity crisis in India?
The prevalence of obesity in India varies by age, gender, region, and socioeconomic status. According to a 2019–2021 National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 24% of women and 22.9 %of men in India are obese. It is clear that India is seeing an epidemiological transition from and underweight undernourished population to an obese population with almost unlimited access to food
On the surface, the factors that contribute to obesity are as follows:
Sedentary lifestyle- People are more educated today and take up jobs that are intellectually more and physically less demanding. This results in people glued to their desks or screens for more than 8 hours a day .This leaves precious little time for the most important things one needs to do for good health- well thought out , balanced , home cooked meals and regular physical exercise.
Unhealthy eating patterns:
India has experienced increasing growth, urbanization, and globalization of its economy.One of the effects of these is the increased availability of food .Food available at restaurants, fast food joints,through food delivery apps or at super markets is generally rich in refined flour, sugar, salt and oil and as a consequence of extensive processing is nutrient depleted .The accessibility, palatabilty and affordability of these foods make it easy to shut out the healthier less tasty food options.
Food marketing and globalization:
The population is bombarded on television and social media with advertisements of food products applicable from infancy to old age. Narratives are built around components of such products to make the consumer believe that these are healthier or more desirable than the food that is available to the consumer locally.
On a deeper level are certain mindset related issues that are not often discussed openly:
- Our past as colonial India was a difficult one where our ancestors suffered under famines man made as well as natural. This has given rise to the mindset that only if a person eats a large amount of carbohydrates namely rice / wheat in each meal, the person can remain healthy.
- People who are slim or thin are conditioned to believe they are weak and are ostracized as being poor or as suffering from a chronic illness.
- The converse view is also very much prevalent -being overweight is taken as an indicator of wealth and prosperity and is encouraged as a sign of good health.
- Vegetables and pulses are not subsidized the way cereals are by our public distribution system, therefore people gravitate towards rice and wheat such that 70 to 80 % of each meal is composed of carbohydrates only simply because they are cheaper than vegetable and pulses.
- Indians traditionally value intellectual accomplishment more than physical ability and generally do not give importance to physical activity. Thus, people who have good sporting ability are usually put down as ‘ not being good at studies ‘.
- Many deeply ingrained traditional beliefs prevent young girls and married women from taking up regular physical activity.
- Children learn life lessons from their parents by observing parents ‘ actions. Thus, generation upon generation of children have lost out on the benefits of physical activity on their lives.
- Planning of towns and cities leaves a lot to be desired in terms of good footpaths, walkways parks and play areas. There is also no consistent segregation of busy commercial zones and residential areas in cities. All this restricts the ability of citizens, particularly elderly people children to engage in physical activity.
- The above is some of the causes of the obesity epidemic that has gripped India.
