Obesity in India: rates, causes and where to get help

How common is obesity in India?

Obesity in India affects 8.0 % of adults according to the latest WHO figures, with women (10.4 %) well ahead of men (5.7 %). By rate, India ranks 180 of 196 countries. By headcount it is third in the world, because even a modest percentage of 1.4 billion people is a very large number.

That WHO figure uses the global cut-off of a BMI of 30. For people of South Asian origin, that line is drawn too high: diabetes, high blood pressure and fatty liver often appear at a lower weight, and fat is more often stored around the belly and organs.

The National Family Health Survey

India's largest health survey, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), measures height and weight in hundreds of thousands of homes. Its sixth round found 30.7 % of women and 27.3 % of men aged 15 to 49 overweight or living with obesity (BMI 25 or more). In the round before, the figures were 24.0 % and 22.9 %.

The differences between regions are large. Among women, Puducherry (46.3 %), Chandigarh (44 %), Delhi (41.4 %), Punjab (40.8 %) and Tamil Nadu (40.5 %) had the highest shares, while Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Assam were lower. Among men, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands topped the list at about 38 %.

The ICMR-INDIAB study

A second large study, ICMR-INDIAB, measured more than 113,000 adults in urban and rural areas of 31 states and territories. Using the Asia-Pacific cut-off of a BMI of 25, it found generalised obesity in 28.6 % and abdominal obesity (a large waist) in 39.5 %.

These numbers are far higher than the WHO estimate because the threshold is lower, not because one source is wrong. Both measured people directly. Our guide to BMI and waist size shows why the waist tells you more than weight alone.

How does India define obesity differently?

A national expert panel has revised how obesity is defined for Asian Indians. Stage 1 obesity starts above a BMI of 23 without effects on health. Stage 2 adds a large waist or high waist-to-height ratio plus limits in daily life or a related illness such as diabetes.

The aim is to spot risk earlier and to look beyond the scale. You can read about the global version of this idea on our page about clinical obesity.

Children and adolescents

Among Indian 5- to 19-year-olds, the WHO estimate is 4.0 %, with boys at 4.4 % and girls at 3.5 %. That is still below the world average of 8.2 %, but it has risen from almost zero in 1990.

Many Indian children still face undernutrition at the same time, a double burden that makes good school meals and family food even more important.

How has obesity in India changed since 1990?

Adult obesity in India has grown tenfold since 1990, from 0.8 % to 8.0 % in the WHO series. For women the climb was from 1.1 % to 10.4 %, for men from 0.5 % to 5.7 %.

The pace has picked up in recent years. In about fifteen years the adult rate has more than doubled, from 3.6 % to 8.0 %. Survey data tell the same story over a shorter span: in just one NFHS round, overweight and obesity among women rose by almost seven percentage points.

Why obesity is rising in India

India is going through a fast nutrition transition: as incomes grow and cities expand, diets are changing and daily movement is falling. The government's own Eat Right India programme says modern lifestyles have brought significant shifts in eating patterns, and that diet now drives a large share of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Oil, sugar and ultra-processed food

Traditional Indian meals built on dal, vegetables, whole grains and curd can be very healthy. The worry is what has been added: more cooking oil, more fried snacks, more sweets and more packaged food. The Prime Minister has repeatedly asked families to use 10 % less oil, which shows how central this issue is.

The ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition's Dietary Guidelines for Indians advise people to keep high-fat, high-sugar and ultra-processed foods to a minimum, restrict salt and take steps to prevent abdominal obesity. Our page on the food environment explains why such foods make overeating easy.

City life and less activity

In ICMR-INDIAB, every metabolic condition apart from prediabetes was more common in urban than in rural areas. That fits the wider picture of the nutrition transition, in which desk work and motorised travel take the place of physical labour and walking. The Dietary Guidelines for Indians put regular exercise next to food for this reason.

Body build and genes

Researchers describe a typical South Asian pattern of more body fat and less muscle at the same BMI, with more fat stored around the liver and pancreas. This does not cause obesity on its own, but it means that the same weight gain carries more health risk. Read more on genetics and biology.

Health impact of obesity in India

India faces one of the world's largest diabetes burdens, and excess body fat is a key driver. ICMR-INDIAB found diabetes in 11.4 % of adults, prediabetes in 15.3 % and high blood pressure in 35.5 %. The authors say the prevalence is considerably higher than earlier estimates.

The NFHS shows the same direction. Among women aged 15 and over, the share with high blood sugar or taking medicine for it rose from 13.5 % to 17.8 % between the last two survey rounds. The survey team notes that this coincides with the rise in overweight and obesity.

ICMR-INDIAB also shows how the problem is moving across the country. In the more developed states, the diabetes epidemic appears to be stabilising, while in most other states it is still increasing. In many poorer states, prediabetes is more common than diabetes, a warning that many more cases may follow unless habits and surroundings change.

Because many people are unaware of raised blood sugar until problems start, regular screening is important. Our page on health risks of obesity explains the links with heart disease, fatty liver and joint pain.

What is India doing to tackle obesity?

India's response combines public campaigns, tax, food labelling and screening. These are the measures we could confirm.

Eat Right India and the 10 % call

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) runs Eat Right India, a national movement for safe, healthy and sustainable food. Its "Aaj Se Thoda Kam" (a little less from today) campaign promotes less salt, sugar and fat, and Eat Right School brings nutrition into school lessons.

The Union Health Minister launched FSSAI's "Stop Obesity" campaign, calling for a 10 % cut in salt and oil use across the country. The Prime Minister has also used his monthly radio address to ask people to reduce oil and unhealthy food.

Eat Right India also certifies "Eat Right Campus" workplaces, hospitals and colleges that serve nutritious meals, and runs a "Trans Fat-Free India" campaign to remove industrial trans fats from the food chain.

Higher tax on sugary fizzy drinks

Under the reformed goods and services tax (GST), carbonated soft drinks and caffeinated beverages are taxed at 40 %, the highest rate in the system. That raises the price of soda and energy drinks compared with water, milk or fresh fruit.

Front-of-pack warning labels

Today, packaged foods in India only need nutrition information on the back. After repeated pressure from the Supreme Court and health groups, the regulator has changed course.

FSSAI has proposed a red hexagon warning label stating "HIGH FAT", "HIGH SUGAR" or "HIGH SALT" on products high in two or more of these nutrients. The proposal is still being reviewed, so it is not yet in force.

National dietary guidelines

The ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition's Dietary Guidelines for Indians give practical advice for every age: be physically active, limit salt, and minimise fat, sugar and ultra-processed foods.

Screening at local health centres

Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), the health ministry aims to screen everyone aged 30 and over for diabetes, high blood pressure and common cancers. Screening takes place at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (health and wellness centres) and other facilities, with ASHAs and other frontline workers visiting homes.

Where to get help for obesity in India

Your nearest Ayushman Arogya Mandir or primary health centre is a good first stop, especially if you are over 30. Staff there can check your weight, blood pressure and blood sugar and refer you on if needed.

• Government health centres: Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, primary and community health centres, and district hospitals under NP-NCD.
• Your family doctor or a physician, who can refer you to a dietitian, an endocrinologist or a diabetes clinic.
• Qualified dietitians who can turn the Dietary Guidelines for Indians into meals that fit your family, region and budget.

Our doctor visit checklist helps you get the most from a short appointment. Because risk starts at a lower BMI for South Asians, it is worth asking about your waist size too.

How India compares with the world

India's adult obesity rate is about half the world average: 8.0 % against 16.2 %. In 1990 the gap was much wider, with 0.8 % in India against 6.7 % globally.

In South Asia, India sits in the middle. Pakistan (24.5 %) is far higher and Sri Lanka slightly higher at 11.2 %, Nepal is level at 8.0 % and Bangladesh lower at 5.8 %. Keep in mind that these WHO rates use the BMI 30 cut-off, which underestimates risk in South Asian populations.

Explore every country on our obesity by country page, or start with the basics on what obesity is and its main causes.

How Obesity Foundation can help

Obesity Foundation helps people lose weight and improve their health with good food, suitable exercise and walking. Our help is free and works alongside the care you get from your doctor. Do speak with your doctor first before you change your diet or start exercising.

Eat well, the Indian way. Our free eating plan fits well with dal, sabzi, roti from whole wheat or millets, curd and fruit. The main changes are less oil, fewer fried snacks and sweets, and fewer sugary drinks.

Walk every day. A walk after meals is easy to fit into Indian family life. Our walking plan starts small, and our low-impact cardio routines can be done at home when it is too hot or wet outside.

Get personal support. Book a free video meeting (in English) with our team, join the Obesity Foundation Club, and use our free tools to check your BMI and waist.