Obesity up in urban areas, finds National Family Health Survey

In what is considered an alarming upward trend, obesity has been increasing over the past decade, particularly in urban areas, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS).

The NFHS-5 (2019-21) is the most recent edition of the survey released in 2022.

The sixth NFHS is now under way in Karnataka and is expected to be completed over the next two months.

In the fourth NFHS (2015-16), 23.3 per cent of 24,661 women and 22.1 per cent of 3,519 men surveyed were recorded as overweight or obese. This number was particularly high in urban areas --- with 31.8 per cent of 10,809 women and 28.6 per cent of 1,548 men being overweight or obese, as opposed to 16.6 per cent of women and 17.1 per cent of men surveyed in rural areas. 

In NFHS-5, close to one-third of the population was overweight or obese when compared to a little over one-fifth in the previous survey. A total of 30.1 per cent of 27,941 women and 30.9 per cent of 3,746 men surveyed were overweight or obese. Here too, the urban-rural divide was evident with 37.1 per cent of 11,092 women and 39.4 per cent of 1,513 men in urban areas being overweight or obese compared to about 25 per cent of the men and women in rural areas.  

Between both surveys, there has been an increase of 5.3 percentage points in women and nearly 11 percentage points in men in urban
areas.

Additionally, the NFHS-5 noted that nearly 47 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men in urban areas had a high waist-to-hip ratio, which upped the risks of developing several metabolic complications.

Alarming trend

Public health expert Dr Sylvia Karpagam said that the trend was higher in urban areas because of the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugar, and the use of oils, such as sunflower or rice bran, instead of the traditional options of mustard and coconut.

Dr Vasu H V, founder of the Active Health Diabetes Centre, Bengaluru, noted that this alarming trend of even teenagers developing diabetes, mainly because of being overweight or obese.

“Increased consumption of processed foods rich in carbohydrates, decreased physical activity and increased stress can lead to insulin resistance leading to excess body fat, which will again contribute to insulin resistance,” he said.

Sedentary lifestyle

Bengaluru-based nutrition and wellness consultant Dr Sheela Krishnaswamy noted that 90% of this rise in numbers is due to lifestyle.

“This is not just about eating poorly or at odd times but also about leading a sedentary lifestyle, stress, poor sleep, recreation, and exercise. Weight around the middle of the body (torso) is also increasing, resulting in the rise of several diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes,” she explained.

While she acknowledged that the rural populace was healthier, she warned that they have begun adopting urban lifestyles, which could increase their risks of developing similar disorders.

Solutions

The experts recommend avoiding ultra-processed foods, eating and sleeping according to one’s circadian rhythm, regular exercise and stress management measures on an individual level. 

On a systemic level, a comprehensive approach involving the health department, the medical community and experts from urban planning, socio-psychology, and public health circles is required to design actionable
plans.