180 Million Now, India To Have 450 Million Obese People By 2050: Lancet

Obesity is well on way to spreading like an epidemic and by 2050, India will have 450 million obese people, a new study in Lancet has said. The current figure in India is 180 million. This is expected to wreak havoc on health services in low-resource countries, said the premier peer-reviewed scientific journal. 

"Weight gain varies widely across the globe with more than half of the world's adults with overweight or obesity in 2021 living in just eight countries - China (402 million), India (180 million), the USA (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million)," Lancet reported.

"Continuation of these trends would see global rates of overweight and obesity among adults rise from an estimated 43.4 per cent in 2021 to around 57.4 per cent for men in 2050," it added. 

By 2050, the largest number of adults with overweight and obesity will be in China (627 million). It would be followed by India, which will have 450 million obese people, Lancet said. The US will be in the third spot with 214 million.

The newer generations are gaining weight faster than previous ones and obesity is occurring earlier, Lancet also said. This is increasing the risk of heath complications including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and multiple cancers occurring at younger ages. 

There has been massive focus on obesity in the country since Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the matter in his monthly radio address "Man ki Baat" last month.

In "Mann ki Baat", PM Modi had urged people to take the first step to combating obesity by cutting down on oil consumption. 

"You should decide that you will use 10% less oil every month. You can decide that you will buy 10 per cent less oil when you buy it for cooking. This will be an important step towards reducing obesity. By making small changes in our eating habits, we can make our future stronger, fitter and disease-free," he had said and followed it up with a post on X. 

Doctors say one of the leading causes of weight gain is the increasing dependence on processed foods which contain a high volume of hydrogenated edible oil and salt, both of which are extremely harmful. 

Hydrogenated oils ae the ones that turn viscous in room temperature and are used in most processed foods including chocolates, mayonnaise, sandwich pastes and non-butter spreads for bread. 

Given its low price, it is also the main cooking medium in most restaurants and eateries.

Doctors say a person's daily consumption of oil should not exceed 20 ml, which is only two teaspoons. 

Nutritionists also advise switching from hydrogenated oils - including palm oil - to healthier alternatives like mustard, groundnut or coconut oil. To balance the various fats contained in oils, they also advise the use several kinds of oils.