Synopsis
India faces a looming economic crisis due to rising obesity rates. The issue threatens to increase the nation’s economic burden from $28.95 billion in 2019 to $838.6 billion by 2060. The Economic Survey 2024-25 highlights the need for stricter regulations on ultra-processed foods and calls for a comprehensive national strategy to address obesity. The Economic Survey 2023-24, released in July last year, warned that India won’t be able to reap its demographic dividend if Indians do not get fit. Fat isn’t just a personal health issue—it’s a full-blown economic crisis in the making. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Mann Ki Baat shoutout to India’s rising obesity problem is more than just a health warning; it’s an economic red flag. And the numbers are staggering.
In 2019, the economic burden of overweight and obesity in India was estimated at $28.95 billion, accounting for 1% of GDP, according to data from the Global Obesity Observatory. However, if current trends continue unchecked, this figure is projected to skyrocket to $838.6 billion by 2060, consuming 2.5% of GDP.
The Economic Survey 2023-24, released in July last year, warned that India won’t be able to reap its demographic dividend if Indians do not get fit.
“If India needs to reap the gains of its demographic dividend, it is critical that its population’s health parameters transition towards a balanced and diverse diet,” the survey said. A key health challenge it has pointed out is obesity.
“Obesity is emerging as a serious concern among India’s adult population. According to National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5), the percentage of men facing obesity in the age bracket 18-69 has increased to 22.9 per cent in NFHS-5 from 18.9 per cent in NFHS-4. For women, it has increased from 20.6% (NFHS-4) to 24.0% (NFHS-5),” it said.
Physical inactivity could be a major culprit. Add to that a diet increasingly dominated by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and you have a recipe for disaster.
What’s on your plate? The UPF problem The Economic Survey 2024-25 has sounded the alarm on ultra-proc
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