World Obesity Day

About World Obesity Day:

• The World Obesity Day is a unified day of action that calls for a cohesive, cross-sector response to the obesity crisis. It takes place on 4 March and is convened by the World Obesity Federation in collaboration with its global members.
• Theme: The theme for World Obesity Day 2025 is "Changing Systems, Healthier Lives," emphasizing the need for systemic changes to address the global obesity epidemic.
• Goal: The day aims to increase awareness, encourage advocacy, improve policies, and share experiences related to obesity prevention and treatment.
• Since 2015, World Obesity Days have focused on recognizing the root causes of obesity, increasing knowledge of the disease, tackling weight stigma, and improving understanding, prevention, and treatment of obesity.

Obesity in India Trends:

• Recent analyses published in The Lancet predict that by 2050, India, China and the United States are projected to have the highest numbers of people who are overweight or live with obesity by 2050
• India is expected to have over 440 million obese and overweight people by 2050, ranking second globally after China.
  • The prevalence of obesity and overweight among boys in India increased from 0.46 crore in 1990, to 1.3 crore in 2021, and is projected to increase to 1.6 crore in 2050.
  • Among girls, it has increased from 0.45 crore in 1990, to 1.24 crore in 2021, and projected to increase to 1.44 core in 2050, according to the study.
• The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reveals that nearly 24% of women and 22.9% of men in India are now classified as overweight or obese