The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) has highlighted the rapid rise of obesity and diabetes across India. Obesity in women (15-49 years) has gone up from 24% in the NFHS-5 to 30.7% in the latest NFHS-6, and similarly obesity in men of the same age group from 22.9% to 27.3%. Diabetes in persons taking medicines to control insulin resistance has risen from 13.5 % to 17.8% in women, and 15.6% to 20.9% in men.

The survey has indicated that obesity/overweight prevalence has increased by about 6.7% among women and 4.4% among men in just five years. This is particularly so in the southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, which have emerged as a hotspot for overweight and obese adults, alongside rising diabetes prevalence.

C-section deliveries

The survey also records exceptionally high deliveries by Caesarean (C)-section, with Telangana at 62.2%, Andhra Pradesh at 52.2%, and Tamil Nadu having 46.9% C-section deliveries.

The national increase in all births delivered by C-section stood at 27.2%, up from 21.5% in the previous survey. Private hospitals registered 54.1% C-section deliveries whereas public hospitals registered 16.9% C-section deliveries. Urban areas reported particularly high rates of C-section deliveries, with around 40.5% of births delivered by C-section when compared with the 22.8% births delivered by C-section in rural areas

C-sections, obesity, and diabetes are a two-way street, experts say. Maternal obesity and diabetes increase risk during pregnancy, resulting in a C-section, and being born via C-section increases a child’s long-term risk of developing these metabolic conditions.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the NFHS-6 earlier this week. It was conducted in 2023-24 by the Ministry along with the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai as the nodal agency. Covering nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts, the survey provides vital evidence on population, health, nutrition, and family welfare indicators, and supports evidence-based planning and programme implementation up to the district-level.

Obesity and diabetes are among the most important global public health challenges because they substantially increase the risk of illness, disability, and premature death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The global health body defines overweight and obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.

The WHO emphasizes that excess body weight is one of the strongest risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes. “When people accumulate excess body fat — especially around the abdomen — the body’s cells can become resistant to insulin. This condition, called insulin resistance, makes it harder to regulate blood sugar and can eventually lead to Type 2 diabetes,’’ the WHO has said. The condition results in reduced life expectancy, more years lived with disability, higher risk of multiple chronic diseases, and increased healthcare costs.