This is an archive article published on May 12, 2022

Obesity in women rose by 3%, men 4%, in four years: NFHS-5

The highest proportion of overweight or obese women is found in Puducherry (46 per cent) followed by Chandigarh (44 per cent), Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab (41 per cent each), and Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (38 per cent each), according to the report.

3 min readPuneUpdated: May 16, 2022 08:31 PM IST

National Family Health Survey, NFHS data, Obesity, Women Obesity, Men Obesity, Pune news, Pune city news, Pune, Maharashtra, Maharashtra government, India news, Indian Express News Service, Express News Service, Express News, Indian Express India News

Among men, the proportion has risen to 23 per cent from 19 per cent that was recorded when NFHS-4 took place.

The proportion of overweight or obese women in India has increased from 21 per cent in 2015-16 to to 24 per cent in 2019-20, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 report.

Among men, the proportion has risen to 23 per cent from 19 per cent that was recorded when NFHS-4 took place.

The highest proportion of overweight or obese women is found in Puducherry (46 per cent) followed by Chandigarh (44 per cent), Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab (41 per cent each), and Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (38 per cent each), according to the report.

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For the first time, the 2019-20 NFHS has measured the waist circumference and hip circumference of women and men between 15 and 49 years of age. This information was used to calculate the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), which helps to identify the distribution of body fat and predicts abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity is associated with an increased risk of type-2 diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke, and premature death.

According to the NFHS-5 report ,more than half (57 per cent) of women and 48 per cent of men have a WHR that puts them at a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications.

WHR is calculated by dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement with the formula: waist circumference/hip circumference. According to WHO, a healthy WHR is 0.9 or less in men and 0.85 or less for women.

When contacted, Dr Shashank Shah, Past President of Obesity Surgery Society of India, told The Indian Express that what is worrying is that not only has there been an increase in obesity but also metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

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“There are several reasons for this rising trend among which external environmental pollutants are also contributing factors. There are studies that show links between exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and obesity. Not only are we seeing early onset of diabetes and hypertension but I have been witnessing cases of fatty liver in every alternate patient who visits the clinic,” Dr Shah said.

The survey found the proportion of adults with an increased risk WHR increasing with age, from 46 per cent for girls in 15-19 group to 65 per cent in women in the 40-49 group. Among male population, it was found at 28 per cent in 15-19 group and 60 per cent in 40-49 group. The proportion of people having a substantially increased risk WHR was found higher in urban areas than rural areas for both women (60 per cent in urban area over 55 per cent in rural area) and men (50 per cent in urban area as compared to 46 per cent in rural area).

The proportion of women having a substantially increased risk WHR was found to be highest in Jammu & Kashmir (88 per cent) and lowest in Madhya Pradesh at 40 per cent. For men, Chandigarh topped the list with 67 per cent while Meghalaya was at the bottom with 25 per cent.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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