Framing fitness as a national imperative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged citizens to declare independence from obesity, warning that the growing health crisis could soon affect one in three Indians.
Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, he called for behavioral change at the household level, including a 10% reduction in cooking oil consumption, to address what he described as a “grave concern” for the nation’s future.
Citing experts, Modi appealed to every family in the country to take obesity seriously, stressing that it is becoming a severe crisis. “Experts say that in the coming years, one in every three people will suffer from obesity.”
This is not the first time the Prime Minister has voiced concern over obesity. Over the past few years, he has consistently highlighted the issue in his Mann Ki Baat radio addresses, yoga events, and fitness campaigns. At the heart of his message is a push for household-level behavioral change.
In his speech, PM Modi said, “When I speak of fitness, when I speak of sports, I also wish to place before you a matter of concern. Every family in our country should take it seriously—obesity is becoming a very grave crisis for our nation. Experts say that in the coming years, one in every three people will suffer from obesity. We must protect ourselves from obesity. Therefore, while many steps will have to be taken, I have made one small suggestion—that every family should resolve that when cooking oil comes into the house, it should be 10% less than usual, and its use should also be 10% less. By doing so, we can make our contribution towards winning the fight against obesity.”
Public health experts note that India is witnessing a steady rise in obesity, especially in urban areas and among children. According to the NFHS-5 survey, nearly one in three Indian adults is now overweight or obese—a worrying trend given the strong link between obesity and diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart ailments.
Over the years, PM Modi has sought to tie personal fitness to national strength, launching mass movements such as the Fit India Movement in 2019 and promoting International Yoga Day since 2015.
During one of his Mann Ki Baat episodes, Modi had remarked: “Fitness is not just a part of our lives, it must become a culture. An unhealthy nation cannot move forward. We must be conscious of what we eat and how we live.”
In his Independence Day address, the Prime Minister also spoke about strengthening the sports ecosystem through the Khelo India Policy, which covers training, infrastructure, and fitness awareness from schools to Olympic-level institutions.
“Whether in coaching, fitness, sports grounds, equipment, or supporting local manufacturers, we want to build a complete ecosystem—even in the remotest areas,” he said.
The repeated emphasis from the highest level of leadership highlights the government’s growing focus on preventive healthcare and healthy lifestyles as part of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Key Facts*
Definition of Obesity
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is defined as the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that poses a risk to health. The most commonly used metric to classify obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI), where a BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or above is classified as obese.
In India, however, the thresholds are lower: a person is considered overweight if their BMI is between 23.0 and 24.9 kg/m², and obese if their BMI is 25 kg/m² or higher. Morbid obesity is defined as having a BMI of 35 or more, according to the global health agency.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI), previously known as the Quetelet Index, is a simple method to assess whether an adult has a healthy weight. It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (kg/m²). In other words, BMI is obtained by taking a person’s weight (kg) and dividing it by their height (m) squared.
Healthy BMI Range
A normal BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9, based on the WHO guidelines.
Global Statistics
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been steadily increasing among both adults and children worldwide. Between 1990 and 2022, the percentage of children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) with obesity rose fourfold, from 2% to 8%. During the same period, the proportion of adults (aged 18 and older) with obesity more than doubled, increasing from 7% to 16%.
India’s Obesity Statistics
As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), overall, 24% of Indian women and 23% of Indian men are overweight or obese
As per the NFHS-5, (2019-2021) in the category of ages 15-49 years, 6.4 % of women and 4.0 % of men, are obese.
There has also been an increase in the percentage of children under 5 years who are overweight (weight-for-height) from 2.1 percent in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 3.4 percent in NFHS-5 (2019-21) at All-India level.
*(Data available from the Government sources)
