Obesity crisis may affect crores of Indian children: Economic survey
India's latest Economic Survey says obesity is becoming a serious problem, especially for kids.
Blame goes to junk food, less movement, and too many ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
If things don't change soon, the number of obese children could jump from 3.3 crore in 2020 to 8.3 crore by 2035.
What's really happening?
Nearly a quarter of adults aged 15-49 are overweight or obese, and childhood obesity is rising too—especially in urban areas.
The survey also points out that UPF sales have exploded in recent years.
Why does it matter?
Obesity isn't just about health—it's costing India about $2.4 billion each year in health-system costs and about $28.9 billion in productivity losses.
The government wants to fight back with exploring stricter marketing controls, including a proposed ban on UPF advertising across all media between 6am and 11pm warning labels on unhealthy foods, higher taxes on bad snacks, and technology-driven approaches using platforms such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and AI tools to scale screening and detect risk.
Programs like POSHAN Abhiyaan and Fit India aim to help everyone make healthier choices.