Raising concerns over growing obesity and the increase of consumption of highly processed foods laden with sugars and fat, the Economic Survey said 54 per cent of the total disease burden in India is due to unhealthy diets.
Obesity presents a "concerning situation" and preventive measures must be taken to enable citizens to have a healthier lifestyle, it said.
"Obesity is emerging as a serious concern among India's adult population," said the Survey, which was tabled on Monday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.
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", it said.
Citing a report from the Indian Council for Medical Research, the Economic Survey observed that the rise in consumption of highly processed foods laden with sugars and fat, coupled with reduced physical activity and limited access to diverse foods, exacerbate micronutrient deficiencies and overweight/obesity problems.
Estimates show that the adult obesity rate in India has more than tripled, and the rise in children is the steepest in the world for India, behind Vietnam and Namibia, the survey stated, referring to a World Obesity Federation report.
The survey further said as per National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the incidence of obesity is significantly higher in urban India than in rural India. In urban India, it is 29.8 per cent in men versus 19.3 per cent of rural India.
The percentage of men facing obesity in the 18-69 age bracket 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 per cent (NFHS-4) to 24 per cent (NFHS-5).
"Combined with an ageing population in some states, obesity presents a concerning situation. Preventive measures must be taken to enable citizens to have a healthier lifestyle," the survey said.
In some states, such as in the NCT (Delhi), the proportion of women with obesity is 41.3 per cent, as against 38 per cent for men.
In Tamil Nadu, for men, obesity is 37 per cent and it is 40.4 per cent for women.
In Andhra, it is 36.3 per cent for women while for men it is 31.1 per cent.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Kamala Harris' Ancestral Village In India Prays For Her Election Win
Unhealthy Diets, Physical Inactivity Fuelling Obesity In India: Former WHO Chief Scientist Childhood Obesity Affect: 8 Habits To Inculcate Today For Better Health Of Your Child Women's Health: Obesity Can Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer; Here's What To Do Live Updates: Trump Says He May Not Challenge Election As Long As "It's Fair" Renowned Singer Sharda Sinha, A Padma Bhushan Recipient, Dies At 72 Equatorial Guinea Civil Servant's Over 400 Sex Tapes Spark Massive Row Harris vs Trump - America Elects 47th US President. Election Result Today Terrorist Killed, 2 Security Personnel Injured In J&K Encounter Three-Time Winner Amin Patel, Shaina NC Fight For Mumbadevi Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.